


Future Tense

by Agent66



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, F/F, F/M, Future Fic, Mystery, Original Character(s), Political Alliances
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-07-11 21:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 107,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15981065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agent66/pseuds/Agent66
Summary: In the aftermath of Reign, the Children of Liberty, and Cadmus, Supergirl, the DEO, and National City face an increasing danger that might change their very futures.A season 5/6 AU





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey SG fans! The aftermath of season 3 and the wait for season 4 was apparently too much for my brain to handle and it came up with this. To all my other readers who are patiently waiting for me to finish something, I know. I'm sorry. The muse would not be denied. But if you're also a fan of this Arrowverse show, hopefully it will tide you over for the moment.
> 
> As the summary states, this is a AU future fic that is canon up through season 3, with mentions of the elements coming in season 4; depending on the upcoming season, future chapters may reference some things but not a lot. A couple of admin stuff before the fic starts -
> 
> 1\. This is the first in a series of stories, though ironically enough this particular story was supposed to be the second within that series. For now, elements that are mentioned here will show up in the next fic I call A Lifetime of Firsts which explain some of the background stuff that happened between Alex and Maggie.
> 
> 2\. While I did weave some elements from the comics (a variety of sources), I did leave out Jamie Sawyer, the comics daughter of Maggie. Simple reason being I didn't know where the character came from when I initially came up with this story, therefore I had already had a character for Sanvers. There is a reason I choose the character I did, which I thought made a little more sense and I hope you like them.
> 
> 3\. Come for the Sanvers, stay for the story I hope :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 20 years in the future, a group of superheroes discover an anomaly that could spell doom for the people in the past.

_20 years in the future_

 

The world is in disarray.

Reports are calling it World War III, after the fall of the American government and the rise of hostile aliens taking root. The anti-alien sentiment that had been going on for decades had finally tipped and the elected leaders had all but deported aliens and alien lovers off planet.

Hundreds of extra-terrestrials had been rounded up, a scene larger than the one that had been sanctioned by Cadmus years ago. The alien registry, which the nefarious group had stolen from some black site that could never be substantiated, had opened the doors for more oppression and alienation towards non-humans, listing every alien within National City. From there, it had just been a manner of time before other cities – Metropolis, Gotham, Star City – had followed suit, mandating that all individuals not of earth be registered.

The backlash had been loud; protests happened in the street, brash, angry, and vocal and for the first time in a long time, the alien communities of the world had gathered together to fight the same thing. Many humans had been involved as well, rallying to their alien friends, speaking out against the treatment and undue harm that was being caused.

But these demonstrations only erupted in violence, furthering the backlash towards alien species. Many in and out of the crowds had been hurt or killed, due to the riots and looting that began as part of these spectacles. It was only later that these incidents had been verified to be a coordinated attack from both the government and hostile alien forces, in a bid to change the political climate towards the more favorable candidate, a small stepping stone towards pushing through this legislature or that.

Most of the bills that were put forth had very little or nothing at all to do with aliens or their rights, easily passed through on the heels of public opinion and discord.

And when it was all said and done, the new government had been ensured a takeover by hostile alien forces. The destruction of Earth was near complete, teetering populations into what may have been the literal apocalypse.

Hope wasn’t completely lost, however; Metropolis still had Superman, Gotham still had the Bat family, and National City still had Supergirl. But it was only for a short time. With Earth now open for any type of attack, the powerful being known as Darkseid made his move to conquer it. Superman and Batman had dealt with the alien monarch before and both were not hopeful at a peaceful end.

And peaceful it was not.

One by one, Darkseid – aided by the hostile aliens who had managed to disable the US government – was able to defeat and destroy the protectors of Earth, _every_ Earth. For all of the multiverses that existed, Darkseid was able to use his power to bring all of those Earths together, so that he could rule over one planet, in one universe. Even the team of superheroes Superman and Batman had gathered hadn’t stood chance – Superman was the last to fall, only because Darkseid wanted it that way; Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Nightwing, the Red Hood, Robin…all defeated and killed with little fanfare.

The Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and the other heroes of Earth-1 did little better – without a Superman in their universe, they had no frame of reference on how to defend against a god-like being such as Darkseid. Only two heroes remained – Superman and his cousin Supergirl. The two Kryptonians fought, side by side, their powers equal and more than enough to fight off Darkseid. But the being was not known to be dumb or ill-prepared – he did not come to Earth alone and he did not deal with Earth’s heroes by himself either.

As history would later state, the elder son of Darkseid – a being known as Kalibak – accompanied his father and the two were more than enough to stand against the last of the Kryptonians. Darkseid didn’t spare the world with Superman’s defeat; he openly gloated, taunted, and paraded the beaten and battered body of the man formerly known as Clark Kent for several days before mounting the superhero’s head on a pillar of his newly built fortress.

Supergirl barely managed to escape, going super nova with her powers in order to keep Kalibak at bay. But because of the hunt for her, replenishing her powers would take days and the only way to achieve that was to use the yellow sun lamps that were housed within the Department of Extranormal Operations or DEO.

The DEO was a secretive branch of government created to first, prevent and then examine alien life before it turned into a preventive measure on ensuring the safety of the planet for both humans, meta humans, and aliens alike. Their agents had been instrumental in fending off other alien invasions – the prisoners from Fort Rozz, the Daxamites, Reign – all had been defeated thanks in part to the DEO and Supergirl.

Without her powers, Supergirl was as human as any other person in National City. In times past, yellow sun lamps were all that was needed to bring Supergirl’s powers back. Until that day.

That day changed everything.

The DEO was the last beacon of government within the US and the last beacon of hope, as it meant Supergirl was still around to save the day. Only, that day saw Kalibak unleash a large-scale attack targeted at the DEO; an attack that demolished the building and killed most of the people within, including most of the agents, the director, and Supergirl.

The high rise tower that had stood for decades fell, its floors and roof imploding into smoke and dust, burying anyone who had the unfortunate misfortune of being in the building at the time. Only a handful of agents had been outside of the DEO when it collapsed, agents who had been trying to help defeat the aliens that roamed the streets, just looking for humans to kill. One young agent, upon seeing the DEO building fall to the ground, had rushed towards the destruction, screaming as he did so. He had barely been able to miss the debris that was kicked up, held back by two of his fellow agents.

He had seen red then, red like the blotches and splotches he could see on the sidewalks and the streets; blood that ran from the mouths of bodies that were lain from where they fell during the fighting. Red as the capes that had once hung on the backs of superheroes.

He was a young man, no more than about twenty-five years old, with short auburn hair. He was average height, with an average muscular build, something required when being a field agent and he was dressed in the customary uniform – short sleeve black shirt, tucked into black military pants that were tucked into black Doc Marten boots. His dark eyes held not just anger, but a desperation about them, guilt of not being able to save those who had been inside.

Of being the only one to survive.

He had shaken off the hands holding him back, but he only had about two minutes before weapons fire sounded behind them, knocking one of them to the ground besides him. It was hard to remember what exactly happened next – both the young man and his colleague turned at the disturbance and there was a fire fight, then a haze that came over him. Once again, he was the only one standing and his foes were down.

When thinking back on that day, the young man’s memory is fuzzy at best – he remembered the destruction of the DEO, the lives lost, and the way he had tried to reach out, hoping against hope that someone might still be alive, but everything after that had been a blur. At least until he found himself in what used to be the CatCo Media Plaza, the roundabout area that sat below the high tower of CatCo Worldwide Media.

As with the DEO, CatCo had been torn asunder, barely standing, with its top half missing. Most of the building still littered the park below, leaving the lush green draped in shattered glass, metal, and bodies. Most of those bodies were human, but there were some alien bodies – a few Dominators that had seen their way to Earth-38, a few White Martians, a stray K’hund, an Infernian – but there seemed to a steady stream of the beings from Apokolips, the planet that gave birth and rise to Darkseid.

The rage that had clouded the young man’s vision seemed to clear, though it did nothing to lighten his heart. All around him, the great National City that he had lived in and grown up in was in ruins and he alone seemed to be the only person who could even put up a resistance. All that was hope had dwindled and died.

Hadn’t it?

“Hey!”

Turning quickly, the young man had his gun in his hand and pointed at the sudden voice, which came from a taller man that stood a ways before him. He was bearded and his blue eyes were the very definition of ‘piercing’; his stance was one of confidence, determination, and a readiness to defend or to fight if necessary. That wasn’t what drew the young man’s gaze, however – it was, in all honesty – it was how the mysterious stranger was dressed.

A tight red mesh suit covered him, with blue highlights on the sides, along with black boots. But it was the cape, the blue cape, that hung and swayed slightly as he moved closer that caught the younger man’s attention. It reminded him of Supergirl, of what National City had once called their hope against the forces of evil; it was such a surprise, the man’s arms lowered slightly.

“Are you okay?” the stranger asked, holding out a hand, with the palm up. A signal of peace. “Do you need help?”

Shaking himself out of his stupor, the young man again raised his gun arm. “I’m in better shape than you,” he stated. “And any help you could’ve offered is wasted, in case you haven’t seen.”

The stranger looked around, looking up at the former CatCo building. His face changed seeing its remains, a look of sadness coming across it as though in thought, remembering. Turning back to the young man, he took note of his dress. “Where are the other DEO agents?”

“Just me,” he said, his voice shaking.

Again, the stranger’s face fell slightly as he nodded, but then just as quickly it hardened. “I know what caused this,” he stated. “Or rather who.”

“Yeah,” the young man spat. “It was an alien named Darkseid.”

“No,” the stranger replied, shaking his head. “Before him. He just used the opportunity that presented itself.” He again looked around him. “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” he muttered. “Not like this, not now.” He turned to the younger man before him. “I need some help,” he said. “I’ll explain everything, but I think you may need to come with me. The future might be at stake.”

“Despite how things look, I still know not to go anywhere with a stranger.”

The stranger actually smiled at that, even chuckled for a moment. “Fair enough,” he said. “My name is Mon-El. I’m a member of a group called the Legion. And I could really use some help.”

That had been nearly a year ago, when Mon-El of the planet Daxam had, in some form or the other, recruited him. Instead of living in the 21st century as he had, Mon-El had taken the young man to the 31st century where the Legion of Superheroes maintained their headquarters. The Legion had pulled together an impressive roster of heroes, some coming from different time periods all together, for one single goal – protect the citizens and the people of the world.

At the time the group was formed, Mon-El had himself just arrived into the 31st century, thanks to a wormhole that had opened up and swallowed him whole. The future was nothing like he expected, especially when coming from the past where technology wasn’t nearly as advanced outside of maybe the DEO or Cadmus. For seven long years, he had struggled to find his place in this new world, learning what he could and meeting others who would help him adjust and maybe, make a difference in a bleak and ultimately dying world.

He was able to bring together those many considered the founding members of the Legion – Imra Ardeen, known as Saturn Girl because of her planet origin and her mind abilities and Brainiac-5, a descendant of the Brainiac species. Interestingly enough, Querl Dox – or rather Brainy to his friends and others – had decided to stay in the 21st century after learning about what his people were doing to AI species and traded his place within the Legion with Winslow Schott, Jr, a fellow agent at the DEO who not only was the ‘man in the van’ for the vigilante Guardian, but was responsible for creating the suits for both Guardian _and_ Supergirl.

For someone who had grown up and lived through the 21st century, seeing the future was spectacular. The Legion complex was more than enough to sate the curiosity of the younger man. Spread across several acres of land, the complex had four separate areas, each with at least three stories to accommodate their growing membership.

There was the academy where new members learned about the history of the Legion, their members, and their course towards helping those around them. The hanger was located across the way and was protected by enhanced security measures and sat on top of the super gymnasium.

There was the memorial room, an area dedicated to those members that were lost in action, but also held a place of remembrance for those former members. At the very back of the complex and seated above the entire area was the control room or rather the operations room, as more meetings and gatherings of members took place there than anywhere else.

This was the room the young redhead was headed towards.

While the 31st century had its share of problems, the defeat and destruction of the species known as the Blight before they could bring destruction on the world had been a far more recent breath of fresh air than anyone could hope for. For the Legion, that event had been about two years ago, for the auburn-haired man entering the rounded conference room, it had been nearly twenty-one years since the world-killer known as Reign had tried to destroy the Earth.

He hadn’t even been on the planet at that point.

The presence of the world-killers – Reign, Pestilence, and Purity – had brought National City back into the spotlight, as the three would begin their reign of terror there. From a mysterious virus that had rendered a good portion of the city near death, to a horrible attack on Supergirl that left her bloody and broken, many felt this could be the end. But as they say in the movies, it ain’t over till it’s over.

Reign and her cult of followers had been destroyed and life went back to normal. At least as normal as life got when living in National City.

The Legion’s operations was housed in a rounded space, done up in white and yellow highlights on the walls. It was large enough to hold at least fifty or sixty people and still be comfortable; the younger man had once heard they had hosted a good majority of the Legion there once.

Completing the room was a rounded communications hub laid out in the middle. Even the table was round, with a large white orb situated in the center - the interstellar communications globe - which allowed members to communicate with the base even when galaxies apart. Only four chairs were placed around the table, though the younger man had really only seen Winn sit down, busy using futuristic tech he couldn’t stop gushing about.

Mon-El, Imra, and Winn were already on one side of the table, speaking with a few members of the Legion. There was Phantom Girl, a member of the Bgztl species, who had the ability to easily phase through anything; Tyroc, who hailed from the Marzal Islands on Earth, whose screams were at the sonic level and could produce unusual and sometimes unsightly effects; and one of the few magic users in the group, Black Witch, who hailed from the planet Naltor. They were already discussing a new topic when the auburn-haired man walked in.

“You made it,” Mon-El replied, seeing him enter and sending a smile his way.

“There’s my boy!” Winn shouted, pointing at him. “If anyone’s got an idea on how we do this, it’s him.”

“That’s either a rousing speech about my abilities or a serious call for me to turn around and leave.”

“I think you’ll want to stay,” Mon-El said, his smile dropping some. “We have a problem.”

“When don’t we?” quipped the Black Witch.

“Oh, lovely sorceress of my heart,” Winn said, sending her a wink. “This time I think we may have met our match.” Bringing up one of the constant screens that seemed to hover around him more and more lately, the tech genius brought up a map of their current galaxy before zooming in to show a single planet. “Can anyone tell me what this?”

“It’s Calendia,” the younger man answered immediately, surprising the others, though not Winn.

“Look at my baby boy,” the technician gushed. “Using them smarts his mama gave him. He is correct. This people is the lovely planet Calendia, home of the Calendians, our not at all friendly and not full of sunshine friends from another galaxy.”

“We've started getting reports of other worlds seeing Calendians appearing and attacking citizens,” Mon-El added.

“Makes sense,” Black Witch replied. “They are a war-like race. Rite by combat is fairly exercised by all members.”

“That may be true,” the redhead spoke up. “But Calendians are also notoriously xenophobic. They don’t go out of their way to attack others outside of their species unless directly attacked. And they certainly don’t go around conquering planets.”

“What does a human know about Calendians?” asked Black Witch.

“Are you kidding?” Winn laughed. “His family knows a thing or two about aliens. You might even call it the family business.”

“I’d almost dispute you on that,” the younger man retorted, though there was a smile on his face. “However, I’m not sure I really could.”

“Back on track,” Mon-El said, sending a look to Win.

“Right,” the human replied, going back to his screens and pulling up some sort of tracking map. “So, as stated, Calendians don’t go around just attacking people, however we’ve gotten reports that that’s _exactly_ what they’re doing and about thirty minutes ago, we got the first blip of someone using a time travel device.”

“Wait,” Tyroc interrupted. “Are you saying the Calendians are using time travel now? That definitely doesn’t sound like their style.”

“That’s because it most definitely _isn’t_ ,” Mon-El stated. “Something’s changed in the timeline.”

“Do you think it was something that happened when you went back to the 21st century?” asked Phantom Girl.

Imra shook her head. “Other than having Winn replace Brainy and vice versa,” she began. “Our presence was to stop the Blight from appearing, which we did, and thus saving everyone who had been or were going to be their victims. That should have been the only change that was made.”

“Whatever the Calendians are doing,” Winn picked up. “Is making changes to the timeline _now_.” Switching screens, he pulled up another image of a distant galaxy. Unlike other galaxies they had seen and visited, this one seemed to be devoid of any activity, mostly a barren waste land of darkness with a few stars scattered about.

“This is the Hess galaxy,” he reported. “There used to be about thirty planets and moons here. As you can see…”

“There’s nothing there,” Phantom Girl whispered. “What happened to all of the planets? The moons?”

“The people?” asked Black Witch.

“That’s what we need to find out,” Mon-El replied. “The Hess system isn’t as old as some of the other galaxies, but it has existed for just under a century. And if here and now, in the 31st century, there’s no trace of it…”

“Then something must have happened in the past to stop it from forming,” the younger man stated, nodding. “So is that what the Calendians are doing? Is that why they’re going back in time?”

“For what purpose?” Tyroc asked, looking at the others. “As junior here mentioned, they’re xenophobic and aren’t in the habit of attacking other worlds. Something more must be going on.”

“Something more _is_ going on, Troy,” Winn responded, using the superhero’s real name. “Mon-El and I were going through our history archives, you know, filling in the blanks that you guys have before WW3 and we noticed something.” The tech genius immediately switched screens to show a very familiar city. “For those that don’t know,” he continued. “This is the place where yours truly was home grown – National City.

“During _my_ time there, our president was very forward thinking. She signed an alien rights act that allowed rights to any alien that was living on Earth. For obvious reasons, that was met with a lot of push back.”

The younger man nodded. He had some memory of that time, though he was very young. “There was some movement that was started after Reign was defeated,” he murmured, wracking his brain to remember. “I think that was the last year Marsdin was in office.”

“Too right,” Winn replied, switching the screen again to show a news article clipping. Then President Olivia Marsdin was front and center, with the headline that basically condemned everything she had worked for.

**AMERICANS LED ASTRAY BY ALIEN IN DISGUISE**

“This was in 2019,” Winn stated. “Right around the time she was running for a second term. Again, you can imagine how that came across to many of the groups that had popped up. As if Cadmus wasn’t already a problem, this prompted the rise of the Children of Liberty.”

The younger man nodded, slightly. “I remember that,” he whispered. “Mom had been really worried, all things considering. After he got taken down and the group disbanded, there wasn’t really any word on them anymore.”

“That’s because they all went into becoming friends with Cadmus,” Winn said, a sneer across his normally smiling face. “And we all know how wonderful they are.”

Even in the 31st century, there were still remnants of the shadowy organization known as Cadmus. Originally founded by Lillian Luthor, the group had a very hard anti-alien, pro-human stance and sought to rid the Earth of alien presence. Despite a more technological society and more alien inclusion, there were still pockets of discontents who wanted the world to go back to the heyday when aliens weren’t known outside of the planet.

“This is no coincidence,” Imra stated. “We’ve discussed it and we’re starting to believe the world war that began during the mid to late 21st century was no accident.”

“You mean, someone purposely started it?” Tyroc asked.

“But the war had already ended and Darkseid’s reign was in full swing when Mon-El found me,” the younger man replied. “Those events had already transpired.”

“That’s true,” Mon-El began, nodding. “However, it does seem very convenient for this to be happening now, especially considering our missing friends in the Hess system. You’ve definitely given us more on how the war started, which is equally strange.”

The younger man crossed his arms in thought. “No, I agree,” he said. “It was weird how it all happened. But if it already happened, then why would the Calendians go back to make it happen _again_?”

“Maybe they aren’t trying for a repeat, but an earlier performance,” Tyroc replied. “Maybe that’s the idea – start the war earlier.”

“Or put the building blocks in place,” Winn added. “The foundation had just been started, maybe they were just adding the very brick that the building needed.”

“Or planting the bomb so the fuse could be lit,” the younger man stated, catching on to his fellow Earth members.

“I’m confused,” Black Witch said, a bewildered look on her face. “Are the Calendians going back to the 21st century to plant a bomb?”

After a short explanation that no, no one was planting or building a bomb in the past – that they knew of – the discussion of what to do next was broached. Time travel was always a tricky thing – one misstep, one wrong decision, one overlooked detail could change the entirety of the future for everyone involved. There was a reason most people were told to not travel back in time or to the future; movies, television, and books had been written about the subject, showing all of the alternative history and facts that could change by just one decision.

The Legion was no stranger to time travel and it was something they did with great responsibility and light steps to ensure that any change would only reflect on a certain event and only affected certain players. When one went back and changed the past, the future could be changed irrevocably, sometimes for the better, but usually for the worse. When Mon-El had been sent back to National City, there had been the very real prospect that he wouldn’t want to return, not when he could be with Kara without the dangers of his parents hanging over his head.

It was one of the reasons Brainy and Imra had kept their ability to time travel a secret from him, knowing he could abandon their mission in order to find his own happiness. Kara had once told him that her friend Barry had changed the entire course of the future because he had gone back in time to save his mother. The fallout from that had then changed how his friends and family acted and reacted towards him.

Time was tricky and could not be taken lightly, in any measure.

“Tinya, Troy, and Mysa will go back to the 21st century to discover what the Calendians are doing there,” Imra announced. “Troy, you’ll have to be their guide, as you understand Earth more than…”

“Hey hold up.”

“Wait a second.”

Both Winn and their young recruit looked at the others in confusion. “I gotta stop you there, Imra,” Winn said. “But I think the kid should take this one.”

“It’s too dangerous for him,” Mon-El stated.

“How?” asked the auburn-haired man. “I’m from that time and for me, it’s only twenty-years or so ago. Things wouldn’t have changed that much.”

“That’s not the point,” Mon-El said. “After what happened with the DEO…”

“I can handle it,” the younger man interrupted. “I know you think seeing everyone is gonna…I don’t know, but I can handle it. Besides, there would be no reason for me to stay anyways; my younger self is still in that time and as someone who watches sci-fi movies, I know for a fact I’d be causing some weird paradox if I were to stay.

“But you can bet your ass that I’m not about to sit on the sidelines for this; not when I have a chance to stop what happened last year in any capacity.”

“The kid has a point,” Winn whispered. “Not only that, but given who’d we would definitely want to work with, I think having him go in there would be taken a little better than three aliens. Especially in the climate.” Winn could see his words were taking an effect, at least on Mon-El.

“You know,” he said, looking at the Daxamite. “We wouldn’t have even bothered helping you if, you know, it wasn’t you. And you wouldn’t have helped us if not for Kara.”

Mon-El looked away, shame and guilt gracing his face for just a moment. The fact that he didn’t bother looking at Imra was telling.

“Look,” the human continued. “I know he’s young and all, but what was the point of getting him to join if he didn’t have a special ability? And yeah, he _does_ have a special ability, but I doubt we keep him around for just that. He’s got them special set of skills; he can handle anything thrown at him. And he’ll be with Supergirl and the DEO and Guardian…”

Giving the younger man a fond look, Winn added, “He’ll be in good hands.”

The others couldn’t help but see the logic in the statement, despite the fact that their new recruit had only experienced going back to his time in order to deliver relief to those still being affected by Darkseid and his minions. And that was only in the presence of other Legion members. And even then, they had to fight off minions from Apokolips, only making small inroads on helping those that needed it.

No, if they wanted to stop the destruction that was now on Earth, they needed to prevent the event in the first place.

Finally, after a time, the Legion leader nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Once again, Winn has managed to talk me into something I don’t believe is a good idea.”

“Me!?” the tech genius sputtered. “You name one bad thing I’ve talked you into doing and if you mention that little trip to Grassus, I will never talk to you again.”

The group broke, with Mon-El leading the young redhead out of Operations and towards the elevator to head downstairs. Before entering, Winn gave a last farewell to his young charge.

“Hey Baby Bear,” he called. “Keep your nose clean!”

The elevator doors shut, shielding the two from the grinning face of their resident tech guru, leaving the two men in relative silence.

“I don’t want you to think I hadn’t considered you first for this,” he stated, as they lowered to the first floor. Once there, Mon-El led the man through the first floor and outside into the courtyard. Their journey seemed to be headed towards the hanger, where the group kept their aircrafts and other transportation.

“I wasn’t sure how you’d handle it, to be honest,” he continued. “Knowing who you’d be seeing and meeting with.”

The younger man nodded. “I know,” he sighed. “But I promise, Mon-El, that I can handle this. I know what’s at stake, especially in terms of my own history and future; one misstep and I could Marty McFly myself out of existence.”

The Daxamite laughed at that, clapping a hand on the man’s shoulder. While the former prince had acclimated to his new time, he missed many of the in-jokes and pop culture he had learned while in the 21st century; having Winn here had been a great addition, not just because of his technical skills, but his overall personality and his familiarity with at least two of the Legion members.

Within the hanger bay, up on the third floor, was where they housed their aircraft and air transports, but it was also home to the time bubble. The time bubble had been an experiment done by Brainy-5 back in his adolescence and based on the time sphere that had been something used by Rip Hunter and the Time Masters.

It was essentially a teleportation pad that encompassed the traveler in a bubble before sending them to the appointed time destination. It was how Mon-El was able to travel to the 21st century in the aftermath of the attack on the DEO and finding the newest member of the Legion. As they made their way up, Mon-El explained the mission.

“We’re not sure what’s actually happening,” he began. “So first thing is for you to see if there’s any activity by our Calendians friends. If so, then you may need to get in touch with Supergirl and the DEO to see what they know.”

“Right.”

“Obviously,” the Daxamite continued. “You’ll want to avoid giving away your identity. The last time I was there…”

“I know,” the younger man interrupted. “Again, will try not to erase my existence, but obviously because I exist, I have to imagine things apparently worked out.”

“Obviously,” Mon-El chuckled. “Which I’m glad, but let’s just err on the side of caution. Oh! Make sure you have your ring, though I would caution about wearing it.”

The younger man nodded. “I have it,” he said. “I’ll keep myself on the DL, don’t worry.” After a moment, he asked the question that had been on his mind since speaking about the Children of Liberty.

“What about Cadmus?”

“There’s no evidence that says Cadmus is involved in anything.”

“That we know of,” the man countered. “Cadmus was huge in my time, you know that, and knowing what we do now, it might be in our best-case scenario to stop any of their future dealings.”

“Is this coming from someone who wants to stop Cadmus?” Mon-El asked, sending the younger man a look. “Or for someone who wants to be rid of someone _in_ Cadmus?”

The two stopped right as they reached the platform for the time bubble, with Mon-El looking at the younger man sternly. “The Cadmus of the past is not the Cadmus of the future,” he said.

“I know that,” the auburn-haired man replied. “But we could have a shot at making sure that past Cadmus _doesn’t_ become future Cadmus.”

“And how do you think she’ll react?”

“She won’t have to know.”

“Really?” Mon-El asked, giving the man a knowing look. “Winn seemed to infer that you two are close.”

“ _Were_ close,” the younger retorted. Sighing, he shrugged. “I won’t take any unnecessary risks, unless it comes up, but surely you have to see that if Cadmus has a chance to intervene, they will. And that puts _everyone_ at risk.”

Mon-El sighed. Cadmus was a sore subject, for many within the Legion, himself included. They were a nasty group, led by even nastier leaders, and he certainly didn’t fault the redheaded man before him wanting to stop a menace before it became an even bigger danger.

“It’s a secondary concern,” he whispered. “If Cadmus ties in to this or you find something, then yes, please. By all means, take care of it, but not at the cost of why you’re going.” When it looked like the man would protest, Mon-El persisted. “Do you hear me?”

“Yes, man,” the redhead whined, before clearing his throat. “I hear you. I won’t do something that…undoes everything you have or everything I have. I’m just saying…”

“It’s a consideration,” he said, nodding. “And I get that, I do. But it has to stay just that, buddy.”

The younger man nodded, though reluctantly. He knew the stakes and he certainly wasn’t about to go on some quest for vengeance, not when it could impact his future or the future of those he knew. Turning, he stepped up on the platform, watching as Mon-El went over to a nearby control panel. “Ready?”

The man nodded.

Mon-El set about configuring the course for his young charge. The controls were sophisticated, but easily enough to manage when one knew what they were doing. This wasn’t the first time Mon-El had sent one of his team members through the past and it probably wouldn’t be the last, however it was something he was reluctant to do.

He hadn’t lied – the last time Mon-El had been in the 21st century, things had very different and very complicated. Honestly, he hadn’t even considered being in that time and he certainly didn’t think he’d be reunited with his first love or that he’d end up losing his wife at the same time. He and Imra were friends, had always been, but their friendship now had taken years to repair and he had felt horrible about that.

Seeing the younger man before him, traveling back to a time period when he still existed though in a small form, was a small comfort. His existence proved that things in the 21st century had worked themselves out, at least until the third war broke out, but even a small measure of happiness had been given to those the humanoid had cared for and called friends.

“Take care of yourself,” he whispered, watching as a liquid bubble began to form around the redhead. The man nodded, sending the alien a smile to show that he heard the sentiment and appreciated it.

In a flash, he was gone and the bubble receded, leaving an empty platform.


	2. Chapter I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the present day, it's work as usual for Supergirl, at least until she runs into a mysterious unknown alien and an equally unknown mysterious stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who left kudos on the prologue! I'm happy to fill in the void until the show returns! Here's where our story in the present starts. 
> 
> There's gonna be some Spanish and other languages spread through out, so any native speakers who'd like to give me a hand or point out more conversational phrases that would work better, please let me know. Until then...
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> The song used is ["Rather Be" by Blinded Hearts](https://youtu.be/FNOZs3uYntU)

_Present day_

Thursday morning and all was well in National City.

Well…all was well thanks to an early morning by Supergirl. It wasn’t yet nine in the morning and already the pretty blonde had saved an airplane from crashing into a mountain, saved a young boy from drowning in a ravine, and rescued a litter of puppies from a storm drain. Not bad for the day and if she was lucky, she’d have enough time to get dressed and head into work.

The sun was high in the sky, with a slight breeze in the air that coasted over the young superhero as she flew through the air. Five and a half years ago, Kara Danvers had debuted as the inexperienced, but determined superhero she had always wished and wanted to be, saving her sister’s plane before it crashed into the sea. Since then, she had learned ‘on the job’, as it were, discovering how her powers worked and how she could use them to benefit the people of her beloved city.

It didn’t come without hardships or challenges. That first year had been tough – facing against the only other relative to survive Krypton besides her cousin, learning about her sister’s actual job, being exposed to red kryptonite and the aftermath of her actions… Kara didn’t think she had ever experienced such hardship, even when her home world was falling apart around her.

And then came her second year and having to deal with the shadowy organization known as Cadmus. Then the third year when she nearly died at the hands of Reign. Then her fourth year…

And those were just things related to her being Supergirl. Kara liked to think she had learned some things and had grown, both as a person and as a hero. She had been tested – they all had – and they had come out a little singed, but thankfully intact and whole for the most part. Looking back at that first year, she knew people had their doubts and reservations about her and they constantly looked to see if she would be the same or different from her famous cousin.

She liked to think that she had shown herself to be cut from the same cloth, but different in approach. And she believed it had paid off.

“Supergirl, come in.”

The voice of Brainy, sounded in her ear. The newest agent at the Department of Extranormal Operations was still learning about the 21st century, but had proven to be just as effective and intelligent as his predecessor. And while they appreciated his hard work, he couldn’t replace Winn and thankfully, after a few months, he stopped trying.

“What’ve you got, Brainy?”

“There appears to be a robbery in progress at First Central Bank,” the alien replied. “It will take some time for the police to arrive.”

“I’m on it.”

Putting on a burst of speed, Supergirl flew through the air before making a sharp right and shifting downwards towards the street below. Instead of going through the windows or even the roof of the bank in order to surprise the bandits, the super instead pulled up on her descent and landed quickly upon the sidewalk, positioning herself in front of the small steps that led to the bank.

Within minutes, two masked men were running out the front door. One held a gun in his hand and was about to fire it inside when Supergirl made her move. Before the gunman could pull the trigger, the blonde’s own hand had grabbed it and forced it up, making the shot go up into the air. The action was so surprising, the bank robber managed to stumble back into his partner, causing both to tumble down the stairs and fall to the sidewalk.

“I’m gonna guess you two aren’t professional bank robbers,” she quipped, watching at the two tried to scramble away, only to be caught by the cars of the National City Police Department pulling. Supergirl waved to the officers before lifting off, her direction headed towards her apartment when Brainy once again came through her earpiece.

“Supergirl?”

“It’s gonna be one of those days, isn’t it?”

“Pardon?”

Shaking her head in mirth, she instead replied with, “Go ahead.”

“We have some sort of disturbance near downtown,” he stated. “Alien disturbance, I should rephrase. And they seem to be doing a lot of damage.”

“On my way.”

An alien rampaging in the streets during the day was an unusual sight in the city and that was counting the fact that National City was home to a very large alien population and routinely saw confrontations between their resident superhero and other foes. Normally, aliens usually found the night to be a better fighting ground – don’t ask why – and strangely, Kara was actually thankful this was happening during the day because it meant she’d have an easier time of seeing them coming.

Though it also meant that the danger to civilians was much greater.

This couldn’t be a drawn-out battle; it had to be quick and hopefully easy. Within a few yards, she could hear some type of destruction taking place as she banked to the left, coming upon one of the main streets leading into downtown National City and seeing the problem almost immediately. There was a figure on the sidewalk, menacing anyone that came near, and wrecking parked cars or other structures as they came into focus.

Touching down only a few feet from the disturbance, Kara observed the strange being. It was a creature she hadn’t seen before or at least one she hadn’t seen while on Earth. It was tall, nearly seven feet, with a dark green skin that seemed to glow in the morning sun. It had a muscular build and wore some sort of blue armament, that adorned his arms and legs, and a slash that went diagonally across his chest.

The alien’s face was amphibian in nature, with fin like features on the side of its face, which draped down towards his chest.

“Hey!” she yelled, causing the alien to look over at her. “I’m gonna need you to calm down there, Michigan. You’re destroying a lot of property.”

The alien sneered, knocking over a car as he walked closer. “I do not take orders from insignificant beings,” he spat, his voice deep and gravelly.

Supergirl raised one slim eyebrow at the response. “In case you didn’t notice,” she retorted. “You’re kinda on _my_ planet, not the other way around.”

“This won’t be your planet for long.”

Supergirl didn’t have long to ponder that statement when the alien rushed towards her, with speed that nearly rivaled her own. She got up her arms to block his blow, but it still sent her back a number of yards, almost sending her into a light pole that was situated on the corner. Supergirl kept her arms up in a block, allowing the incoming blows of the alien land, however she wasn’t just going to let him beat her down in the middle of the street.

She’d been there, done that, hadn’t liked it one bit.

Before another strike could hit her, Supergirl dropped her block and used her super breath to send the alien away from her, right into a blue suburban, denting it on the backend. “I hope their insurance doesn’t go up,” she muttered, wincing at the damage. The move and impact managed to stun the alien, giving the blonde the opportunity to deliver a few quick jabs that rendered the being unconscious.

“Hey Brainy,” she replied. “We’re gonna need a cleanup in aisle five.”

“I thought you were engaged in combat in the downtown area,” the voice replied, confusion clear in his voice and Kara could almost see the way his face was most likely contorted. “Have you moved the conflict to one of those locations where you purchase consumables?”

While Brainy was a wonderful addition to the DEO and a highly intelligent presence, sometimes Kara – and others – just really missed Winn. It had been just two years since the agent trade – Brainy staying in the 21st century, while Winn went to the 31st – it still seemed like yesterday that she was saying goodbye. Winn had been her first close adult friend and still was her best friend, hands down, and there were days when Kara just couldn’t wait to tell the techie something exciting had happened or how exhausting the day had been only to realize that he wasn’t there for her to tell.

“Just…” she began, sighing slightly. “Just send someone down here. We’ll definitely need to…”

“Supergirl!”

It took a moment to realize that the call wasn’t coming from her earpiece, but from a young man that was running towards her. He was a little shorter than her and seemed to be dressed in a dark purple t-shirt and dark jeans. His hair was cut short, darkened on the sides and graced with red on the top, which was done up in a spiked style at the front.

He was slightly out of breath, due to apparently running towards her, but she couldn’t figure out how long he may have been chasing after her. He stopped as he reached the heroine, turning slightly to see the downed body of the mysterious alien. “Oh!” he replied. “You got him. Excellent.” Turning back, he continued with, “I know who or rather, _what_ that is. We need to get to the DEO as soon as possible, so we can speak to Director Danvers.”

Now, in most cases, it was not unusual for people to come up to the superhero; she was widely known in National City and many times, she was thanked for her service. If she flew by offices or even close enough towards the ground, people would wave at her; emergency services, firefighters, and even some members of the police would give her a shout when they saw her or a nod in her direction when around.

But in all of her years serving the city, no one had ever come up to her to insist she needed _their_ help. The fact that this stranger not only knew what the unknown alien was, but also knew about the DEO and it’s director…that was actually what made her reporter senses tingle. The DEO was a classified government agency, and while there were conspiracy theories about a ‘black ops’ group in the city, they were rumors that didn’t have any ‘factual’ basis.

(And by factual, that meant everything had been done to ensure that any type of search into the DEO resulted in very few or no clues.)

Supergirl could shake off the knowledge of the alien – perhaps this young man was an alien himself. It made sense, as not all aliens looked, well, _alien_ – or the fact that he was aware of the DEO – he could be a conspiracy theorist and it would be easy to dissuade him on his search – but the last part…that was the kicker.

“Director Danvers?” she asked, staring hard at him.

When J’onn had revealed himself as a Martian, it became a known fact, within their government, that he was the director of the ‘FBI’, as the DEO paraded themselves. Very few people knew about his sabbatical and his replacement. The stranger answered her question with one of his own.

“Is…is Alex no longer the director?” he asked. Almost immediately, his face changed as though he had answered his own question. “Oh wait. Is J’onn back then? Director J’onzz…er Henshaw?”

Something wasn’t adding up, but Supergirl didn’t know if she truly had the time to question the man further. It had to be after nine by now, if not later, and while James would understand the reasons behind her lateness, Snapper often did not. Shaking her head, the super decided this would need to be something the incoming agents would handle.

“Look,” she said, sternly. “I’m not sure what you think you know, but it’s being handled. In a few moments, we’ll have some government agents on the scene and you can give them a statement…”

“What?” the man asked. “No. No, come on, that’s not at all helpful.”

“I’m sorry,” Supergirl replied, preparing for her departure. “But that will have to suffice and I need to be going.”

“No!”

“Hey!”

The jerk of her arm caused her to stumble and she couldn’t help but note the stranger’s strength; not many humans were able to grab hold at such a speed or grip. The man leaned in close, placing his lips near her ear and said, “I know who you are, Kara.”

The heroine tried to step back, but the man continued to hold on to her arm, but not as tightly as he had before. “More importantly,” he whispered. “I know _you_ and I know you aren’t the kind of person to not help someone, much less not accept help from others when needed. And you _will absolutely_ need me to help you with this.”

He indicated the alien behind them. “Because he’s not the only one.”

Whatever answer Kara wanted to reply with was interrupted with the arrival of two dark vehicles, one a black van and the other an SUV, pulled up neared the sidewalk. Three agents stepped out from both cars, but they stopped when they all saw the stranger with Supergirl. “Everything okay, ma’am?” asked one agent, a man about the same age as the stranger. His hand was already straying to the sidearm on his thigh.

The stranger, seemingly realizing what his closeness looked like, took a step back, holding his hands up in placation. “Hey fellas,” he said. “Glad you’re here.” Nodding towards the alien, he replied, “So our new friend here is going to definitely need to be placed in containment. He’s not gonna like it, but trust me, it’ll be safer if he’s behind a nice thick, plexiglass wall.”

The agents looked at the stranger before throwing confused and suspicious looks towards their resident superhero. Nodding slowly, she said, “Get to it. And take him too.”

“Right on, hey wait a minute…”

The stranger looked surprised when one agent continued to point his weapon at him, approaching slowly and telling him to place his hands behind his head. Though he complied, which got his hands tied with zip ties behind his back, his face clearly spoke volumes on how shocked and maybe a little betrayed he truly was. “You know,” he said, looking at Supergirl. “When I said I needed to get to the DEO, this was not what I meant.”

Supergirl watched as both the man and the alien were loaded into the vehicles before tapping the earpiece. “Hey Brainy?”

“Here.”

“Let J’onn and Alex know we’ve got two incoming,” she replied. “Both need to go into a containment cell. The last one is going to need to be questioned. I’m heading into work, but let me know when they go to speak to him. I need to be there.”

“Understood.”

 

* * *

 

Thursday morning and all was well in National City.

It was still early, but the sun was already shining through the windows of the small apartment. In the bedroom, a woman slept soundly within the queen sized bed, but the growing light and warmth of the room had roused her from sleep.

_I almost didn’t notice_

_The way you’ve got me wrapped around_

_Your finger_

Additional movement alerted the woman that she wasn’t alone that morning, her suspicions confirmed when a slim arm slid across hers and tangled their fingers together once their hands met. In that exact moment, Alex Danvers knew she was still dreaming because she’d had this dream before. In it, she woke along with the presence behind her, her eyes opening and her lips twitching in a soft smile once she saw how her engagement ring matched that of her companion’s.

She would turn then, onto her back, and would come face to face with her fiancée, her face also lit up by not only the sun but the smile and accompanying dimples as she gazed down at the redhead. Her eyes would shine with love and happiness, that the very act of waking up together made the day brighter. Alex would then imagine how this very scene could be the way she woke up every morning, but she knew it wasn’t to be.

Because her brain knew what would happen next – her fiancée would lean down for a kiss and Alex would wake up. Sometimes, she’d wake up alone, clutching the pillow next to her; in the two decent, but failed relationships she had, she’d wake up to another’s face and it would take all of her training to pretend that she hadn’t just been thinking about someone else. And like all the times before, Alex let her eyes drift close before she felt the phantom kiss on her lips.

Today, like a few weeks ago, went differently.

_Even when you’re gone_

_I crave you and those feelings_

_They just linger_

It took a moment for her brain to register that this time, she wasn’t dreaming and that she had indeed been kissed, and Maggie Sawyer was indeed, against all odds, her fiancée.

In the nearly three years since they had first been engaged and then had parted ways, Alex and Maggie had lived totally different lives – Maggie had left the country for a bit before returning back to the US, had even worked back in Gotham for a time before returning to National City, and had been prompted to heading the Science Division of the NCPD.

Alex had gone on to fight against three world killers, had met back up with someone who had traveled from the future, had lost someone to the future, and had been the director of the DEO for almost a year. With their separate leadership positions, both had been convinced they would most likely never see each other again, much less work together again.

And then came the case of the disappearing ship liner and the DEO and the NCPD were once again working together, which meant Alex and Maggie were back to working together. The thought of taking themselves off the case and handing it over to others had only entered their minds once, but that would mean having to continually duck every time the other came onto the scene and that was just ridiculous.

So they decided to work together. And then they remembered _why_ they worked so well together.

_And I found love_

_In you_

_When I was chasing shadows_

_Yeah, you pulled me_

_Through_

_Can’t get over you now_

They had been friends before, so the thought was that they could be friends again. And they _had_ been, in fact they could easily say they were better friends this time around then they were the first time. Alex was far more confident in her sexuality than she had been when she first realized she was gay, so there was no need to fumble her way through a conversation with Maggie; for her part, Maggie didn’t have to pretend or hide any part of herself because she knew Alex.

They knew _each other_. They had always been comfortable with each other and had always understood one another, their feelings, and more importantly, their jobs.

So when their attraction to each other reared its pretty little head, the two were in a better position to figure out how they would deal with it. Communication between them had flowed fairly easily the first time, with a few missteps when it came to secrets that they were hesitant or afraid to share. That communication had all but disintegrated once they had gotten engaged and were planning their first wedding, until finally they reached an impasse on the one thing they probably should have discussed.

But almost two years apart had changed things for both of them, with both of them approaching that topic in completely different ways.

The sounds of light footsteps halted the soft kisses the two exchanged and they only had a moment before the bedroom door opened and a small projectile threw itself on the bed. The small body then wiggled its way between the two, flopping back on the bed in dramatic fashion.

_You give me super powers_

_When you are holding me_

Sandwiched between them was the very thing that had changed everything, one Mattie Sawyer. Mattie was Maggie’s adopted son, an alien child from the Talgarian race and whom the detective had rescued from an alien slaver ring. The boy had spoken to something within Maggie - maybe it was the fact that he had been abandoned by his parents for not being what they wanted him to be or maybe it was his age or maybe it was the prospect of what would happen to him in the system, an abandoned alien child who may not even get a second glance from any perspective parents...

Whatever the reason, the detective could not and would not let him suffer further than he already had.

Alex had been on the same side of the situation, as someone who wanted to adopt a child, but the realities pushed back against the dreams she held. Never mind the fact that it can sometimes take years for eligible parents to go through the adoption process, the very thing that Alex loved stood in her way – her job.

While California was very liberal when it came to adoption and fostering a child, there were still some guidelines that Alex was facing some pushback on. She was gainfully employment, she was single, she had a very nice loft apartment with the means to move in the case she was accepted; all of those were fine until the nature of her employment came up. Being a federal agent wasn’t a ding, per se, however in the event something were to happen to her, there would need to be arrangements.

Kara was the first person she thought off, until she realized that as Supergirl, she was in the same position; J’onn was the next likely selection, but at the time of consideration, she hadn’t seen the Martian for months and wouldn’t for at least another four months. The next person was her mother, but Alex wasn’t completely sure if the scientist even wanted to go through motherhood again, though she knew that if something happened, Eliza Danvers would immediately take care of the situation.

It just wasn’t fair.

And of course, like clockwork, her mind would immediately switch to Maggie and that would send her into an even deeper schism. Then she was heading up the DEO, trying to figure out Agent Liberty and his group’s next move, countering the flare-ups caused by Cadmus…even with all of that, the young agent couldn’t stop her mind from remembering the one time she had been targeted not by an alien or a rogue faction, but an ordinary man whose brother just happened to have been arrested by her.

Ruby Arias had been with her then and while the girl hadn’t been hurt, it did serve as a slight wake up call as she continued to pursue this. She had met with two adoption agencies a total of five times and in all incidences, Alex had been called away by work. After the first two times, it was a weird coincidence.

The third time was annoyance incarnate.

After the fifth time, it was obviously fate telling her she had made a mistake.

It seemed like the only thing going right, even with the influx of anti-alien sentiment, in Alex’s life was her work with the DEO. Oh, she had dated occasionally, had even entered into two relationships with two women who were just lovely and wonderful and…obviously not what or who she wanted.

Her mother had once told her that lying didn’t agree with her, but what Eliza had really meant was lying didn’t agree with her when it was with someone she truly cared about. Her longest relationship, Natalie, had lasted a little over six months and never once had Alex felt the need to tell her the truth about…anything – Kara, J’onn, her work, the bar, etc.

But now…now things had seemed to come together better than she could have imagined. She and Maggie were not only back together, but they were once again getting married and they were raising a child together. Everything they had both been missing now resided under the covers on the soft mattress.

_Cause there’s no other place_

_That I would rather be_

Thursday started as most of their weekdays did. All three would be dressed and ready to head out by at least 7:30 or 8 in the morning and seated around the kitchen island for breakfast. Since arriving back in National City, Maggie had moved into a quaint two bed apartment that was situated near the NCPD station and overlooked much of the downtown area. It came at an affordable price, considering its location and the size, which worked out well when Mattie had come to live with her.

The apartment itself was about 1,452 ft, with a warm beige coloring and dark berber carpeting. The entry way opened into a decent sized kitchen to the right and a dining/den area to the left; the kitchen had been completely redone with modern appliances and dark granite counter tops. There was a kitchen island that could sit three slated in front of a glass stovetop under ample cabinet space.

On the opposite side was a dining area that could also be used as a den if one chose. A rounded table with four chairs was already placed in the middle, creating a nice backdrop with the large fireplace behind it. Directly across from the doorway and next to the kitchen was the living room, a gray sectional against the wall, with a large 52’ in LCD TV seated on a cherry wood entertainment stand.

Around the corner was the hallway that led to the two bedrooms, the first being Mattie’s and placing him directly across the hall from the guest bathroom, while towards the back was Maggie and Alex’s master bedroom complete with master bath.

Mattie had set himself at the kitchen island, swinging his legs back and forth on the bar stool as he ate his bagel. The five year old enjoyed his daily routine, which consisted of spending his morning and evenings with his two favorite people and only being interrupted with learning through his daycare center. As a Talgarian, he was predisposed towards the higher tiers of intelligence, even at his young age, but unlike the rest of his species, he was humble about it and ultimately used his intellect to learn more, which happened to coincide with his particular age group.

Talgarians were humanoid in appearance and the only true way to differentiate the species was through blood – which was a dark blue – and the presence of a second heart. If one wasn’t aware of the distinction, Mattie Sawyer looked like any other five year old, with his black low top Converse shoes, his jean shorts, and a T-Shirt with the character of BB-8 on the front. Talgarians possessed a number of powers, though in most cases they would use and be known for one particular power; Mattie, who was still young and only just coming into his own, had discovered he could shapeshift, though he couldn’t hold the form very long.

He had however managed to get his skin to reflect a dusting of a tan almost, giving him a slightly darker tone than when Maggie had first seen him. That change had propelled the notion and comments that he could truly be her and Alex’s son, something that the alien boy had been hoping ever since meeting the DEO agent. Unlike the other women Maggie had dated, the boy had immediately connected with Alex. It could’ve been the fact that they both had a love of science; Mattie, who was still new to Earth, had found things like the solar system fascinating, even more so when Alex had told him she had been to other planets and had even shown him the constellation Orion in the sky.

Maybe it was the fact that she played with him while Maggie had been finishing up dinner, the first time she and Alex had had dinner since breaking up and the first time Alex would be meeting the child that had managed to turn the detective’s stance on children. It was mostly because Alex treated him like he was smart, which he was, and not in a condescending way. Maggie’s other dates had cooed over his solar system model, asking if he wanted to be an astronaut one day and most usually wanted to just hang out with Maggie.

Alex had seen the model and had asked if he knew the names of the planets – which he did – and then oh so casually mentioned that she had been to other worlds. She even offered to show him, which led to her telling and showing him the constellations in the sky. From that moment on, Alex was his second favorite person. And it certainly had nothing to do with the fact that Maggie had been honest with him and mentioned that not only had they dated, but they had planned to get married.

That had soon turned to Mattie’s end game strategy and the one thing he wanted for Christmas and his birthday. Thankfully, it seemed like Santa and the birthday wish fairy had tipped things in his favor.

“Mijo,” Maggie asked, interrupting the boy’s own inner thoughts. She and Alex were leaning against the counter across from him, drinking coffee, while Maggie finished off the half bagel she had split with the boy. “Do you want spaghetti for dinner?”

“No,” the boy said, drawing out the ‘o’. “We’re having ravioli for lunch and that seems like a lot of pasta for one day.”

“Anything in particular you feel like?” asked Alex.

The boy filled his cheeks with air, before blowing the breath he held. That was usually a sign that he was thinking hard about something. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “Can we go to the shack? The burger shack?”

“You want burgers for dinner?”

Mattie nodded. “Quiero hamburguesas para la cena por favor,” he replied, in Spanish. Maggie rarely spoke in Spanish, unless she was speaking to members of her family – which was as a rare as a solar eclipse – but she was fluent and in the times she needed to question a Spanish speaking suspect, she could easily switch between languages. Mattie had begun picking up some words, on the rare occasion when her aunt had once called, and the two could go back and forth at will if they chose.

“Podemos?”

“Sure,” the detective said. “Shake Shack fries actually sound pretty good, to be honest.”

Their conversation continued to be light, going from what Mattie’s day would be, to the occasional case work that Maggie would be walking into. A quick ding alerted the group to a text message coming in for someone; that someone turned out to be Alex, who picked up her phone as it lay on the island before them.

The notification was still there, telling her to come in as they had an alien and a suspect both in containment cells. “I gotta go,” the agent said, placing the phone in her back pocket. Leaning back over, she delivered a kiss to Maggie’s lips, tasting the small of sweetened coffee as she did. “Beanie, I’m picking you up today.”

The boy nodded, his mouth full with his last bites of breakfast. Alex came around the island and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “See you later, alligator.”

“After while, crocodile!” came his response as he watched her head towards the door. “Go beat bad guys. Bring back cereal!”

Alex gave a small wave as she headed out, closing the door behind her as she headed down the hallway, and leaving the two left in the kitchen.

Maggie nodded towards him. “You ready?”

“Yep,” Mattie replied, sliding off the bar stool and grabbing his plate. He walked towards the lower cabinets before opening the tallest one to reveal the trash can.

“Well?” Maggie asked, causing the boy to turn to her. “What do you think?”

“Mande?”

“Alex’s text,” Maggie clarified. The little family always enjoyed trying to figure out what new case might be awaiting them when they walked in. It was mostly an exercise to put Mattie’s imagination in gear, as the boy had decided that he was going to be a cop one day, a detective just like Maggie, and he was always eager to be helpful.

It was just one more thing that caused Maggie to bond with the boy; he could remind her so much of herself at that age, when her father had hung the moon and she would eagerly want to know how he solved a particular case when he was still a sheriff.

“Rogue alien?”

“Nah,” the boy said, closing the trash bin and putting his plate in the sink. “Unknown alien.”

“Really?” she asked. “Grab your bag.”

The two went about grabbing their things and getting ready to head out, Mattie to his daycare and Maggie to the precinct, along the way discussing what new thing could be happening at the DEO. The conversation halted as they walked out the door, resuming once in the elevator until someone on one of the lower floors got on to head downstairs to the lobby.

By the time their ride at gotten to Little Rockets daycare, the two had a bet going – if Mattie was right, they could go to the park that weekend and if Maggie was right, the boy would have to watch a documentary about Neptune that she had been trying to get him to watch for at least a week now.

Neither had any idea what this day would bring to the city and the world at large.


	3. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A YouTube video surfaces that could throw National City's government into turmoil; Kara, Alex, and J'onn speak to the mysterious stranger.

CatCo Worldwide Media was located in the heart of National City, its large skyscraper standing in the middle of what was known as CatCo Plaza. Founded by media mogul Cat Grant, the publication was the de facto news outlet for National City and its surrounding areas. The only other new print publication that had as much reach was that of the Daily Planet in Metropolis.

Cat Grant had been a staple in the city, a familiar face that would come on television and do her best to get the story straight. She was a figurehead on the west coast, just as Perry White was the figurehead on the east - it was Cat who named the newly out superhero that had saved a plane from crashing one night; it was Cat that spoke to the people after Supergirl seemed to go rogue; Cat was the one who spoke to people during the Daxamite invasion.

When the city was at its lowest, when Supergirl was at her lowest, the people could count on Cat to be there to calm and set everyone straight.

Unfortunately, Cat Grant hadn’t been in the city for a number of years, first by stepping down as CEO of CatCo and then by heading to the east cost to be former President Marsdin’s press secretary, a job she continued after Marsdin’s impeachment and current President Baker’s term. And though Cat would check in with the company every once in a while, she trusted the people who worked under to keep her company from crumbling to the ground.

James Olsen, former photographer for both the Daily Planet and CatCo, now headed up the company as interim CEO, running the company the way Cat wanted, but using his own judgement and experience to make CatCo even better. Around a year and a half earlier, James revealed him as the Guardian, the vigilante hero who had been patrolling and protecting the streets from the criminal underbelly. His approval levels were high, however just like with Supergirl, there were detractors to his work – those that thought the police should be handling their crime levels or that Supergirl was all the hero they needed.

Like Cat, James had a commanding presence, with his tall stature and muscular frame; however, that presence was coupled with a high level of compassion and a deep sense of justice. That was the reason he had taken on the mantle of Guardian in the first place. As a friend to both Superman and then Supergirl, along with their alter egos, it wasn’t hard to get involved with helping; as a journalist, James was able to get candid shots for his stories, putting the heroes on the same level as the people they saved.

The same sense of justice is what pushed James to ensure that CatCo was able to be _the_ publication for truth; it was the same direction that Snapper Carr, the editor in chief, wanted for the company. The two butted heads in the beginning, but had come to a mutual respect in keeping the company on the up and up while other news outlets traded truth for ratings, journalism for the juicy stories.

It was the reason Snapper was so hard on his reporting staff, including a young Kara Danvers. The grizzled reporter would never admit it out – though he had once, during the moment he had fired her – but Danvers was shaping up to being a damned good reporter, if she could just remove her emotions from her pieces. But they were good pieces and ones the public may have never heard of if not for the pretty blonde.

She still had a lot to learn, but she was getting there. She was eager and seemed to have sources and informants to get the info needed to write the story; granted, many of her pieces were about the aliens in the city, but even Snapper couldn’t fault her for bringing the plight of the underserved to the public eye. So many stories and cases went under the radar because of the lives the victims lived – prostitutes, drug addicts, the poor, aliens; all of them on the dregs of society as far as most were concerned.

And that Thursday, a released video was surfacing on the internet and was flaming something through the media outlets, including CatCo. After her strange run with the unknown alien and mysterious stranger downtown, Kara made her way into CatCo’s top floor, thankfully only about thirty minutes late. Also fortunate for her, there seemed to be something big going on. James met her as she walked through the door, both of them heading towards Snapper’s office down the hall.

“Have you seen it?” he asked.

“Seen what?”

Without breaking their stride, James pulled out his phone and showed Kara a trending video on YouTube. It was extremely grainy, as though someone had recorded it on their phone – which was most likely – and it seemed to be filmed within a parking garage.

“It’s blowing up on social media right now,” the photographer murmured. “Apparently, someone took a video of what looks like Governor Marks and someone else talking to two aliens.”

Kara watched the video, as shaky as it was and loud from the sounds around the person recording, which of course blocked out whatever was being said. There was definitely what looked like three, maybe four people in the far background, talking around a row of cars in the lot. It was clear that two of those people were human, but the other two…it was hard to see their faces, as they were wearing hoods, but when one of the figures gestured, his hand did look like a green claw of some sort.

The humans couldn’t be identified, at least not from where the cameraman or woman was standing. The footage immediately went out of focus, accompanied by a few grunts of the person holding the phone trying to work on something. The phone was back and the group was a little closer now, showing that the grunting was the person trying to get the zoom video on their phone to work.

Again, the governor couldn’t really be identified, but Kara was almost sure that the person next to him was one of his staff members. She had seen him before, during gatherings and personal appearances and with the way he was dressed, he wasn’t a body guard. The camera person hurriedly whispered on camera that one of those figures was indeed the governor and that he was secretly meeting with aliens.

The group began to disperse, with still no visible sign of who these people were and the video itself ended when the cameraman declared that people “wake up and discover the truth”.

“Do we know if this is true or not?” Kara asked, having stopped right beside her own desk.

“That’s what I want you to find out, Danvers.”

The grizzled voice of Snapper Carr caused the two to look up from James’ phone as the man stalked towards them. As tough and hard as he was, Snapper had seen potential in Kara as a reporter and it was something that Kara appreciated. She knew she had a tendency to view everyone as good until proven guilty and that she sometimes would leap without looking, but thankfully she also had a group of friends and family who made sure to tell her when she was wrong.

She wouldn’t begin to count Snapper as either a friend or a family member, not the way she viewed Cat, but he was definitely someone she respected and admired.

“This crap is blowing up on the internet and already, TMZ has their mitts into it,” he continued. “Personally, I think it’s just a group of government officials hanging around a few cars and debating if they want to go get beers or stay home, but if this is actually legit and someone like Marks is changing his viewpoint, I want to know about it and I want the public to know about it in a way that doesn’t make it look as though this was just a try out for the Kardashians.”

The balding man looked at Kara hard. “I’m putting you in the driver’s seat, Danvers,” he stated. “Don’t crash.” And with that, he turned and headed back to his office, leaving both the blonde and interim CEO stunned by his words.

While Kara had a few bylines under her belt, this was the first time in over three years almost that Snapper had actually given her a story. In many cases, she had stumbled on the story thanks to her own involvement with the DEO or at the time, having a cop as her future sister-in-law; many of the pieces she had done on Lena Luthor was because they had been best friends.

Basically, just about every article Kara had written and published were all because she had inside information.

This was the first time she’d actually had to hit the pavement, as it were, and investigate without having prior knowledge first.

“Did…” she stumbled. “Did that just happen?”

“About time,” James chuckled, smiling down at her. “You’ve already done a number of articles for CatCo. And you’re a reporter; can’t report without actually…reporting, you know. That sounded better in my head.”

The two laughed. Despite all of the ups and downs in their relationship, the two had continued to be close, in fact, it could be said they were closer than ever. Losing Winn to the 31st century and the Legion of Superheroes had brought them closer, while James’ relationship with Lena seemed to bring the three of them closer still.

“I should probably get started then,” she giggled. “Can you send me that link?”

James nodded, immediately texting the link over. As she waited, Kara leaned into him. “Just an FYI,” she whispered. “We caught a strange alien this morning I’ve never seen before.”

The black man’s face scrunched in worry. “He give you any trouble?”

“Nothing Supergirl couldn’t handle,” she replied. “Just…strange. Anyway, wanted to let you in case you go out tonight.”

While the world now knew the true identity of the vigilante known as The Guardian, it didn’t mean James got to take the nights. Thankfully, he’d been patched in with the DEO ever since he revealed himself and Winn had left, leaving him without his trusty ‘man in the van’. Winn had been his eyes and ears and while James could handle himself, it did mean he was a lot more exposed than he had previously been.

During Alex’s tenure as acting director, she had come to the same conclusion – along with Kara – and decided they only had one of two choices: either James would stop being Guardian, which wasn’t at all likely, or they fill in the place that was now vacant due to Winn leaving. Thankfully, the DEO ran 24/7/365, so there would always been someone to watch James’ back.

That someone turned out to be Agent Cameron Chase, a recent addition to the DEO, who had a background in law enforcement and the military in Coast City and had moved to National City during the events of Reign. Chase had an extensive electronics and computer background, though he wasn’t as close as Winn or Brainy’s level, but he knew enough to be the backup James needed. It certainly wasn’t an easy partnership – Chase had a high level of distrust when it came to vigilantes, as his former occupation as a riot cop meant he had seen what happens when people take the law into their own hands and it had not been pretty.

Chase had originally refused to help Guardian until Alex made it clear in no uncertain terms that if anything happened to him, Chase would find himself looking for a new job, but only after months of recovery when he left the hospital. Initially, the blonde-haired man had considered that he was being threatened and that perhaps the things said about the DEO were truer than he was led to believe, but he did end up reluctantly helping.

Later, when speaking to James Olsen himself, the former photographer apologized for the director’s behavior, clueing Chase into the relationship between the media CEO and the Danvers sisters. Understanding what it was like to protect people, especially those you considered friends and family, he relented, agreeing to help should he be at the desk when the Guardian was out. That olive branch had actually started an easy going friendship between the two, with the Guardian even referring to the agent as ‘Hawkeye’ because of his expertise in seeing things before even the taller man did.

“I’ll keep a look out,” James replied, giving her a smile.

The moment was interrupted when Kara’s own phone began to ring, showing a call coming from Brainy. “Hey.”

“Oh, hello,” the alien replied. “Am I calling you on your portable communication device? Still feels odd to go through that primitive thing.”

“Yes, B,” Kara sighed, looking at James.

“Excellent,” Brainy said. “As per your request, I wanted to inform you that Director J’onzz and Agent Danvers have arrived. And I have notified them about our two newest residents.”

“Great, I’m on my way.”

Kara hung up, brushing past James as she did. “I’m going to take care of something at that place that I go to,” she said, rushing out. “And then I’m gonna get started on that article!”

As she flew off the CatCo roof and headed towards the DEO, Kara was once again grateful and still a little miffed at the sprawling complex that went under the radar in the city. Having to spend time in that bat infested cave in the desert made her really appreciate the air conditioned and ease of travel the citywide DEO building offered.

Especially when it was essentially about a five-minute fly from CatCo and fifteen minutes from her own apartment. And it had an open balcony that she could land on or equally overlook the city from. Why the heck the others wanted to work out of the desert field office made no sense what so ever.

Landing on said balcony, Supergirl immediately headed down the stairs that led into the command center. The heart of the DEO consisted of a monitor wall, with six attached 52 inch monitors that sat in the center of a large semi-circle of various computer screens and stations. In the center of that was a circular table that rose up mid-height from the floor. The surface was smooth, illuminated in a soft white, and encased a small, raised circular platform with the background symbol of the DEO seal on it.

The superhero had just stepped in the middle of the shiny linoleum floors when she was joined by her sister Alex and the DEO director, J’onn J’onzz. J’onn was a Martian from the planet Mars, who had lived through a horrific war between his race of Green Martians and those of the White Martians, a war that took his entire family from him.

It was only much later that he had been informed by a fellow Martian refugee that his father still lived, being kept alive as a prisoner of war because of his knowledge of the ancient artifacts. M’yrnn had been rescued, by his son and Supergirl, and was able to enjoy his last moments to spend with his son and the new family he had formed on Earth; for the sake of the Earth, the elder leader sacrificed himself to prevent the worldkiller Reign from completely destroying the planet.

That final loss was the catalyst towards J’onn stepping down from the DEO and going on a personal quest through the world, hoping to discover the very humanity of Earth and remember his purpose when it came to leading his agents and protecting the planet they all called home. His decision to leave Alex as the interim director had been an easy choice, something he may have unconsciously been training her for from the beginning. He only just returned, about a year ago, to find that Alex had done a stellar job in running the organization, to the point where J’onn had almost decided to just let her continue.

But while Alex had always been and was a wonderful leader, she wasn’t the type of person to just sit and watch from the sidelines, she had to be there in the midst of the action; that of course stood in direct conflict with her personal life, something that seemed to weigh down her thoughts and forced her to look at the harsh realities of her life and face them.

“Supergirl,” he said, motioning with his head for the blonde to follow both him and his assistant director down the hall towards the right. The hero immediately got in step with the two as they began to make their way downstairs where the containment cells were located. “We separated your new friends this morning,” he continued. “We’re still trying to figure out what type of alien we have, but from Brainy, it sounds like our mysterious stranger might have the answer to that.”

With the bigger location, the cells that held both hostile aliens and humans were expanded from the small hexagon shaped cells to a much wider and longer cell, complete with a more comfortable cot for suspects to lay on.

Their mysterious stranger, the one that had been brought in along with their equally mysterious and unidentified alien, was situated in such a cell, currently laying on his cot and looking up at the ceiling. Hearing the door to his prison open, he lifted his head before sitting up and looking at the trio incredulously.

“Seriously!?” he claimed, watching as they approached. Gesturing around him, he again asked, “I mean…really? You guys!” 

The man stood and approached the plexiglass door that separated him from the trio before him. “Did you at least put our green, gilled friend in a containment cell too? And why are you in here and not in there? He’s the one you gotta talk to!”

“Right now, we’re talking to you,” Alex replied, crossing her arms.

“Well, I can see that,” the man huffed.

“You’re not really in a position to be disagreeable,” said J’onn. The director was about to continue, a statement about how his proximity and insistence on wanting to actually come to the DEO was suspect, but he was interrupted.

“How do you know who I am?”

“Uh,” the man stumbled, raising an eyebrow at the super. “Well, you are dressed in spandex, wearing a cape, and have a giant ‘S’ on…”

“No,” Supergirl interrupted. “How did you know I was Kara Danvers?”

“What!?”

“Oh,” the man mumbled, his face scrunching in a grimace. “That. Uh…” The man puffed his cheeks slightly, before blowing out the air slowly. “Very simply,” he continued. “Um…I just, uh, correlated the appearances of Supergirl with the disappearances of Kara Danvers at social events. Yes. That…that sounds like a good explanation.”

“So you’ve been stalking her,” Alex said, stunning the young man.

“What!?” he exclaimed. “No! Oh my god, no! Of course not.”

“Then how exactly do you know which social events I happen to attend?” asked Kara.

“Uh…cause I was invited?”

“I think we should start with first things first,” J’onn stated. “And that’s by finding out who you are.”

“Who I am?” asked the stranger. “That’s not important. That’s totally not important. What _is_ important is that we…or you-” he corrected when he saw the looks the others were giving him. “Need to speak to our alien friend cause…of…reasons.”

“Name?”

The stranger sighed in frustration. “It’s Ma…uh…” Looking at them, he changed course and replied with, “Maths…yes. First name…Stan…Dan? Dan Maths?

“Are you asking us if that’s your name?” Alex deadpanned. “Is that your question?”

“Your…face is a question,” Dan retorted, but then muttered, “Wow, that was dumb. I don’t know why I said that.” Taking a deep breath, he again addressed the others. “The point is, that you all have a problem and I am here to help you with that problem. Dan Maths the name, hunting down aliens is my game. That sounds much worse than I mean, cause I don’t…I don’t hunt…aliens cause that…would…that would...”

The man laughed nervously.

“You know what?” he asked. “Let’s start over cause my nervous rambling is making me look like a lunatic, which I’m not, cause I’m a very nice boy. Hi there! My name is Dan Maths, which is totally my name and not at all made up, and I am here to help you with your pesky alien problem because you are going to need help. Which is where I come in, but you need to let me out of this big, beautiful, well-constructed glass cell. How about it?”

The three looked at one another before turning and starting the walk back the way they came.

“Oh,” he said, watching them go. “Are you guys doing that thing where you turn around to discuss something, but you’re really…oh. No. You…you are leaving. You are leaving me in here. Okay. That’s…that’s cool. I’ll be here! In this cell. In this bay.” Sighing, he sang out a short little, “Wasting time.”

“Oh!” he shouted, as he watched the fleetingly figure of Supergirl walk through the door. “Could I have a box of jelly beans? I know you have them in the vending machine!”

The iron door closed behind them, the stranger’s last sentence. “Should I give Maggie a call and let the NCPD take care of him?” Alex asked, as the trio began to head back into the command center. Their 'mysterious stranger' was turning out to be a very strange crackpot, better suited to going to St. Luke's Health Center than being stuck in a containment cell.

“Not yet,” J’onn replied, glancing at the two. “I’m not exactly convinced he’s telling us the entire truth."

"Did you sense anything from him?" Alex questioned, watching as the Martian shook his head in frustration.

"I couldn't get anything from him," he admitted. "I tried, but there's a psychic block around his mind."

"That's not suspicious at all," Kara quipped.

"I definitely don’t like the idea that he knows about your identity.” That last bit was directed at the blonde, who nodded in agreement. Like most superheroes, Kara tried to keep both of her lives separate and had even gone through a period where she had just wanted to be Supergirl.

Being Supergirl was easy – she could solve her problems with a quick punch, some ice breath, or even heat vision; being Kara Danvers was work. It meant having to face and deal with change, something Kara hated and ever adapted well to; it meant having to suffer heartbreak or worse, watching her favorite people suffer from it and then have no true way to help them; it meant confining to the human world, where sometimes things were messy.

It took time and sometimes she would fail, but Kara felt that she could separate the two and was happy with that separation. It was mostly those reasons that Kara only revealed who she was to people she trusted; only a few of her enemies – Lillian Luthor included – knew who she truly was outside of her hero persona. So for this mysterious stranger to not only run up to her, but confess to knowing who she was, was a little disconcerting.

“Agent Dox.”

The agent known as Brainy immediately turned in his chair at the approach of the three. As a member of the Coluan species, Brainy’s appearance was normally that of blue skin and very light blonde hair that bordered on being white; making his decision to stay in the 21st century however, he had decided to follow the lead of the DEO director by adopting a human form to better interact with the world of this time period. “Sir?”

“Try and see if you can find out who our new alien friend is,” the director replied. “I can’t remember coming across anything like them in my time.”

“Brainy, did you have these types of aliens in the 31st century?” asked Supergirl.

“It could be possible,” the Coluan said. “Though with our mission to stop the Blight, it may have allowed for species that had been wiped out to fully emerge. I will of course investigate further. Um, should I also find out information on the other person brought in?”

“I got it,” Alex replied. Her phone was already at her ear and she was making a greeting as she stepped away. “Hey Sawyer, got a minute?”

“For you, babe, I got all the minutes. What’s up?”

“If you get the chance,” the agent asked. “Could you look up a name for me?”


	4. Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara meets with the author of the video, Alex discovers the mysterious stranger's secret, and Maggie looks up some info.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot stuff packed in this chapter!
> 
> First, all of the conspiracies that are discussed are actually true. You can look up the individual cases and enjoy the wonders of our governments lol. Side note, the link does not work; I just made it up and, admittedly, hoped it would totally be a real thing, but sadly it was not.
> 
> Second, if you've read anything from me before this, you know I'm a former musician and my Kryptonite (in a good way) is a show with fantastic writing that throws some music my way; hence my love of Bob's Burgers and Steven Universe. Needless to say, our friend Dan has him a loves of music.
> 
> Third, while it does vary from departments, I made Maggie's promotion to lieutenant because she would need to already be a sergeant in order to hold the title of detective as she does in the show. I've read stories where she's either a captain or she gets promoted to sergeant, however again, for the latter she wouldn't be able to hold the title of detective without having the rank of Sgt. 
> 
> Last thing, after this chapter, we're going to a weekly format. I know, you all got used to the dailies, but it was totally my intention of doing a new chap every week. I just got excited and your excitement made me even MORE excited, etc. But you never know - I might feel generous and just give you all what you want! LOL
> 
> That's enough of the biz-ness!

It didn’t take as long as Kara thought to track down the author of that trending video. The video was posted on the account of a TruthHertz, which was of course cross-posted from his blog at the address of [www.thetruthertz.com](http://www.thetruthertz.com). The blog itself was full of different governmental conspiracies, life conspiracies, historical conspiracies, and then some. The blog had been around for over twenty years, starting back in the summer of 1998, right when the Internet boom was really starting to penetrate the consumer market.

Under the about section was a timeline, that showed how far the site had come, from the flashy, dark colors of the very first incarnation to the modern style and responsive design of today. Since then, the blog had several categories of conspiracies, from government to historical; it would of course be easy to just dismiss many of these posts, if not for the true stories that came out of many of these.

The CIA experiment of MK Ultra, for example, had been a large conspiracy for several decades until it had very been revealed that yes, the US Central Intelligence Agency had indeed done mind altering experiments on their own agents and citizens; one of the most famous victims was Ted Kaczynski, the man known as the Unabomber. The most recent true conspiracy was that the US government had been spying on American citizens, which thanks to one Edward Snowden, turned out to be very true.

Normally, most respectable journalists wouldn’t go near someone who relied on these secret rumors, especially if there was nothing else to go on, but from Kara could see, the blogger seemed to be doing their homework and tying the rumors to actual evidence. With that in mind, the young reporter decided to reach out, using the email that was listed on the site to try and get in contact.

It only took about thirty minutes, while the blonde had gone out to pick up some lunch, before she had an immediate response to her inquiry. While TruthHertz was willing to speak about the video, they wanted some assurances of not being exposed and ensuring their meeting was in a public place. Thankfully, Kara was still hungry by the time she decided to meet with the blogger and she was not one to say no to sushi.

Their meeting was taking place at Ginza Sushi, a popular sushi place within downtown National City. Oddly enough, the restaurant was only about a block away from where she subdued the strange alien from earlier and where she had been confronted by the mysterious stranger. Ginza Sushi was nestled in a small food plaza, surrounded with a number of different restaurants and a park like setting within the center, so groups could sit outside and get their own food should there be disagreements.

Kara arrived a little before noon, just at the start of the lunch rush. TruthHertz only gave a brief description of themselves, that they would wearing a non-descript dark blue hoodie, black jeans, and a blue baseball cap with the National City Sharks logo on it. A quick look around showed an individual matching that description sitting at a small table right outside the sushi restaurant, reading a book on the history of war and politics.

Walking up to the table, Kara made her presence known, clearing her throat when the person didn’t acknowledge the way her profile blocked the light from the sun. “Kara Danvers?” they asked, not bothering to look up from their relaxed reading. Their deep voice reflected that their gender was male, but if this person was as savvy as they said, that could have easily been a voice changer to throw her off.

“That’s me.”

“Have a seat.”

Kara nodded, taking the opposite chair, just as a waiter walked up. Apparently for the first time since they arrived, TruthHertz closed the book and sat it down on the table near the edge. Nodding, they quickly ordered in Japanese, surprising the server and causing them to quickly scribble down their preference. The blogger looked to Kara, a slight question if she wanted anything, which she did, however she ordered in plain English, ignoring the look of gratitude from the server, who probably wasn’t used to non-English speakers ordering.

Allowing the server to leave, the blogger turned to the blonde, and regarded her. They were wearing shades and had yet to remove them, despite being in a relatively shaded area. “I won’t lie,” they replied. “I was a little surprised to get someone from CatCo contacting me. I’m not exactly known as a credible witness among reporters.”

“Well,” Kara began. “I like to think that everyone deserves to share their story, even if they don’t think it’s worthy.”

“I read your blog in regard to the alien abductions a few years ago,” TruthHertz said. “Heard that’s what got you fired. Gutsy; most reporters wouldn’t bother to report on the injustice of aliens in this city, much less what they face around the world.”

“I happen to have a few friends that are aliens,” she said. “And really, the way they were being rounded up was, to say, disturbing.”

TruthHertz agreed, nodding. “You’re a little heavy handed with the pro-alien stance,” they replied. “But again, you’re telling the people about things they want to ignore. I respect that; that’s why I decided to meet with you. And I know what you’re thinking – you’re here to find out about the video. Is it real? Who’s in it? And more importantly, is it credible?

“And I can answer all of those for you in one word – yes.”

“To be fair,” the reporter pointed out. “You can’t really answer ‘yes’ to who was actually in the video.”

TH – as Kara was calling them in her head - smirked. “Clever girl,” they murmured. “Is one of the people in that video Gov. Peter Marks? Yes. Happy?”

Their conversation stilled as the waiter came back, delivering waters and a beer to TH, along with an order of mixed fried seafood and baked green mussels. The younger reporter took the time to take out her notebook and started taking notes. Once the server left, TH began to speak once more.

“Believe it or not,” they replied. “I actually have a day job, Monday through Friday, so I don’t want you to think that I’m just hiding out behind parking columns waiting to jump the unsuspecting government official.”

“So where were you when you took that video and why were you there?” she questioned.

“City Hall garage,” TH responded. “Monthly city council meeting. I’m sure you remember all that stuff with Agent Liberty and his group; meeting was coming back around to what to do about aliens that had and were being harassed. Needless to say, our government isn’t planning to do anything, especially not when the person who signed an alien amnesty act was an alien herself.

“Don’t believe VP Baker is gonna save us from any push back. Finding out Marsdin was an alien kinda screwed every alien who wanted to live here in peace and Baker only got in cause we needed some leadership and he was next in line. But come next election, things are gonna change in hot minute.”

“You sound like you have some insight on that.”

“I’m not an alien,” TH chuckled. “But I am an underdog and underdogs understand other underdogs. Anyway, you asked why I was hanging out at City Hall. There was a monthly meeting, it didn’t go well, and I was a little hot under the collar. So, when I see Marks hanging around the building, I was gonna have some words. But then I see him talking to two aliens. Now, this is Mad Marks – he may as well have been the right hand of Agent Liberty with how he hates aliens and anyone who isn’t born and bred ‘Merican. Known alien hater meeting with aliens? Nah, something doesn’t add up.”

“Do you know what they were talking about?” Kara asked.

TH held their answer as the server came to their table with their order. Once the servers had left, asking if there was anything else was needed, TH took the time to go through two of his lemon rolls and a chronic roll before answering.

“I couldn’t hear them,” they said. “Not that they were talking loudly or anything, but it seemed like a pretty heated discussion, at least on the aliens’ part.”

“What did they look like?” Kara asked. “The aliens, I mean.”

“It was hard to really tell, honestly,” the blogger admitted. “They were hooded, but they looked green, sort of a weird amphibian hybrid maybe. I’ve definitely never seen anything like them and I know a good amount of aliens in the city.”

The description wasn’t a lot to go on, but the blonde couldn’t help but think about the alien she had encountered earlier. Was it possible that he was the same alien that TH had seen? Or were there more? It was too much of a coincidence for a new alien species to just appear in the city and then a video showing one of National City’s stringent anti-alien government officials suddenly speaking to a green skinned alien. 

If she was still new at being a reporter or even new at being a superhero, Kara could look at the two events as being separate from each other until roads would lead into one another. But Kara wasn’t new by any means and her own intuition was telling her that these two things were related; she just needed to find out how.

The two continued their lunch, with Kara asking a few more pointed questions – why didn’t TH go to the police? Did they confront the governor? Who were the others there? – ones that apparently the blogger couldn’t or wouldn’t answer. The meeting was helpful, in that this did seem to be a legitimate sighting, even if by someone who reported conspiracies as truth; and as much as Kara would’ve like to break this thing wide open, she couldn’t exactly print this unless she had other sources to verify it.

Snapper’s words to her back when she had published the blog alerting aliens about the abductions always sounded in her mind when she investigated a story now; the truth needed and deserved to be heard, however as the grizzled editor had stressed, without facts to back it up, more harm could be done than good. Kara had lucked out, only because she was close to the event, but it could’ve gone differently.

That was the situation she was in now – if this was something as simple as Marks yelling at the two hooded figures, then posting something about him working with aliens would damage his career – though it would benefit those opposed to his stance, it could also ruin him. Kara needed to know more and right now, TH was her only source. “This would be great if I could verify this,” she stated.

“I know how it looks,” TH replied. “If you want, I plan on getting a little more into this later tonight. I'm meeting one of my contacts later. You can come with, though for obvious reasons, you gotta keep your identity under the wraps. The last thing I need is for people to point out the reporter shadowing me.”

“I’ll wear a disguise or something,” she replied. This could be great; if she could see for herself, than hopefully she’d be able to kill two birds with one stone. “What time do you want to meet? And where?”

“I’ll contact you,” the blogger stated, standing and dropping a few bills on the table. “Don’t worry about the food, it’s on me. Call it ‘good faith’.” Nodding, they turned and walked away, leaving the blonde to finish off her own plate.

 

* * *

 

Being in a containment cell was boring and a little stressful. At least, that’s how ‘Dan Maths’ was feeling after, once again, being left alone in his cell within the DEO. So, because he had nothing to do and no one to talk to, he decided to occupy himself; he was used to it, after all. He’d been an only child for nearly three years and he knew how to keep his mind busy.

And that was what he needed to do now.

The incarceration brought about thoughts better left within the deep recesses of his mind and if he wasn’t careful, the next time anyone saw him – and he was determined that someone see him – they’d find him huddled in a corner somewhere and…that would led to a lot of things he wasn’t really prepared to explain.

For now.

Maths had nearly slapped himself earlier, his stupidity at not having a ready made alibi almost giving his identity away. If not for the protection afforded by the Legion enhancements, J’onn for sure would’ve pinpointed him right from the start. _Keep a low profile, he said_ , came the thought. _It’ll totally be easy, he said_. Granted, these were his _own_ words being reflected back, but in his defense, Dan really _did_ think this would be easy.

TV and movies always made time travel _look_ easy, if done right.

Well, if he was going to do this right, then he needed to get out of this cell and into the room with the Calendian. And in order to do that, someone was going to need to get him out. And if he just happened to entertain himself while bringing attention to himself, then so be it.

That was why Agent Susan Vasquez, who maintained most of the communications in and out of the DEO, found herself listening to the Top 100 from about 4 decades of music. 

Vasquez was used to strange things happening, she did work at the DEO and lived in National City after all, however in all of her time in both she could honestly say that she had never experienced this. And to be honest, she kinda wished _all_ of their captives were this entertaining. The stranger apparently knew he was being watched because he spoke to the camera – and thus, Vasquez – announcing his next set, asking if she had any requests, and of course, asking to speak with Agent Danvers.

Danvers was actually heading towards the center when Vasquez called her over. “What’s going on, Vas?” she asked, using the shortened version of the agent’s last name, making it sound like ‘Voss’ and not ‘Vass’.

Looking up from her station, Vasquez replied, “Our mysterious stranger seems to be starved for attention, and by that, I mean he’s actively trying to _get_ our attention.”

She brought up the video feed from the cell showing Maths gesturing wildly and seemingly talking to himself. Leaning closer, Alex asked, “What is he doing?”

“Well,” Vasquez said, a small smirk on her face. “He finished the 1995 list of top 40 songs before doing a full rendition of _Hello, Dolly_ and now…” Using her mouse, she clicked on the volume icon to unmute her own speakers.

From inside the containment cell came the sounds of singing. True to her observation, their mysterious stranger was standing in his cell, singing. And the song seemed to be aimed to get Alex down to see him.

_You were wrong, I was right_

_You said goodbye, I said goodnight!_

_It’s all been done_

_It’s all been done_

_It’s all been done before_

The assistant director didn’t wait to hear anymore before she turned and stalked her way towards the containment area. “Is he singing?” asked Brainy, turning to his right to look at Vasquez. Like the elder agent, the Coluan had never seen or heard any prisoner doing such a thing before or probably since and they certainly didn’t encounter such things during the 31st century.

Vasquez nodded, again muting the volume on her station. “Bet you didn’t think you’d be front row for weekly musicals, did you, Brainy?” she asked, a bit of mirth in her voice.

“Is this standard practice?”

“Not at all,” she said. “But you’ll quickly learn that nothing is truly standard around here. That’s what keeps you on your toes.”

Maths was nearly finished with the second verse when Alex made her way through the room towards his cell proper. Seeing the movement, Maths turned, and greeted the agent with a friendly smile. “Alex!” he exclaimed. “Just the person I was looking for.”

“So I’ve heard,” Alex mumbled, walking up to the glass door to look at the man. “You got my attention, but you’re gonna answer some questions. That’s non-negotiable.”

“I’ll answer what I can,” Maths replied. “No promises.” Holding up his hands at her look, he amended with, “Not that I don’t want to! It’s just…”

“Just what?”

The man sighed. “It’s a long and winding story,” he said. “And it might be better to be told with everyone present. But…I can at least be honest with you.”

“How?” Alex asked, taking a step closer. “How do you know my name? How do you know Supergirl’s name? Her real name.”

“C’mon, Alex,” Dan huffed. “You’re smarter than this. If I know your name, then I must know _you_. And before you ask, the reason as to _how_ is something I can’t answer. Now. Or ever, if I can help it. Not because I’m hiding something, but because…because none of that matters.

“What matters is that green monstrosity you’ve got in another containment cell. We have to talk to him and by we, I actually do mean ‘we’ as me being involved, but fine if you don’t want me there, but if I’m not, you won’t get anything out of him.”

“Why?” Alex questioned.

“Because you won’t be asking the right questions,” Maths told her. The two stood and looked at each other before Dan sagged slightly. He never could stand against one of her stares. “I know your name because I know _you_ , Alex, and I know Kara. We’re…close and that’s as much as I can tell you without giving something important away.”

“What do you know about our green friend?” the agent asked. “And what makes you think we wouldn’t be able to find the same information _without_ your help?”

Maths took in a breath, held it in his cheeks, and then let it out slowly. “Your new friend is called a Calendian,” he replied. “From the planet Calendia. Ask Brainy about them, he should know who they are. I think. Possibly. Anyway, there’s that. The other thing being…he’s not supposed to be here. And I don’t mean here, in the DEO, but _here_ – in this year, in this time.”

“He’s time traveled?” asked Alex, a confused look shadowing her features. Maths nodded. “And what does that make you? And why do you know this?”

“Let me out and maybe I’ll tell you.”

“Or maybe I go in there and persuade you.”

“Please don’t do that,” Dan said, taking a few steps back. “Trust me…that is a situation neither one of us wants to be in, especially you, cause…cause you’ll feel bad. And I don’t want that.”

Alex stared hard at the young man, his statements swirling in her head, as she turned on her heel and began to walk out. His story didn’t really make sense – he knew what and possibly _who_ this new alien species and more importantly, or disturbingly, he knew who they were; he’d said they were close. And at the prospect of her walking into his cell to beat the answers out of him had caused more sympathy than fear.

What was this guy’s deal?

“Hey, I never got my jelly beans!” She heard him shout behind her, but she ignored him, thoughts warring with each other in her mind.

Alex really wished J’onn had been able to sense something, which was strange in itself; according to the Martian, the man had some sort of psychic block around his mind, stopping the DEO director from gaining anything from the man’s mind or emotions. His appearance, along with this Calendian, was suspicious on its own, but the more the man spoke, the more questions he brought up and he seemed unwilling to share those answers.

 

* * *

 

If Maggie had been hoping for a seemingly peaceful and quiet day, she was sorely mistaken. As soon as she had walked into the NCPD precinct, she had been given an alien crime scene to work on near the airport. She had smirked at the familiar setting, memories of another case that had brought her there filling her mind as she gathered up members of her team.

Maggie sometimes imagined going back in time, wanting to tell her fourteen-year-old self that her situation was better than most and that, yes, it would get better; so, so much better and she just had to tough it out. She wanted to go back a few years, when she had been huddled on a friend’s couch, a crying mess just to tell her this was just a really bad bump and if she could just hold out, everything she had ever wanted would be hers.

Certainly, her years since leaving Blue Springs, since leaving Gotham had been a strange roller coaster that she wouldn’t trade for anything. Yes, there had been painful moments, moments she thought would be the worst things she would ever experience in her life, but it turned those moments are what brought her to where she was now.

During the Reign incident, Maggie thought she was at her lowest point. She had left the US for Europe and had stayed for almost two months before her cash and desperation ran out. It was only a call from friend and former girlfriend Kate Kane that made her come back to the states to do some work in Gotham. Kate had always been a good friend, someone who could listen to Maggie moan and cry about life being unfair before turning around and telling her to suck it up.

How the detective managed to not lose her job in National City she didn’t know, but something must have gone right – or wrong – for her to get called back to investigate reports of aliens coming in and out of the city. It was the hallmark of a slave ring right from the description and Maggie was all for taking down those types of scum. She and her partner Dan Turpin had tracked the group down along the industrial district, to a few warehouses that the detective just instinctively knew belonged to the Luthor family.

The very thought that Cadmus was behind this was a fleeting thought, as was the feelings associated with them and the people who they had hurt, but she had quickly pushed them aside. Cadmus was DEO business and the further away from the DEO was better for all involved.

Just as they figured, the warehouse was a staging ground for the group and she and Dan had gone around freeing aliens in cages and rounding up the usual suspects. And then they had come to a small cage and found a small boy, no older than a toddler inside. And that was how Maggie Sawyer had met Mattie Sawyer.

The injustice of his situation – his parents not wanting him because he wasn’t able to display his powers and then selling him to those slavers, on top of the most likely outcome of being put into the system to just waste away – had sparked something in the Latina. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids, she did! They were great if you took the time to teach and nurture them, instead of letting them run around like a bunch of little monsters. She had just never seen herself as having kids or being a mother.

In hindsight, a lot of things contributed to that. Until she started dating Alex, she had never been in a relationship where kids had ever even been discussed; even in her five years with Emily, neither of them had broached having children together. It wasn’t until she had been sent for mandatory counseling after a particularly bad scene in Gotham that she discovered some of that hesitancy actually was based in childhood.

Simply, Maggie had abandonment issues. That wasn’t news to her by any means, but that those feelings of not only being abandoned, but not being good enough had colored her world more than maybe she had realized or acknowledged.

That was she had been so drawn and so adamant for Mattie – he’d been abandoned, too. And just like her, he had been turned over to someone else, however in Maggie’s case, she at least knew and loved her aunt; Mattie didn’t know who held him and his fate didn’t look to be anything good. Petitioning to foster him, then outright adopting him had probably been the easiest thing she’d ever done.

That case had led to her promotion to lieutenant and could have even fast tracked her to captain if she had wanted. More than that, it put the Science Division in better offices, instead of being in the basement like the NCPD’s reject X-Files unit. Rising in rank also brought about a change in leadership – while Maggie had always taken point in the SD, there really wasn’t a dedicated leader. Their cases came from her own lieutenant who always pushed the ‘really weird’ cases onto her.

Becoming Lt. Sawyer meant she was in a position to lead her own unit and that’s what Captain Montoya had done. Now, instead of just taking point, Maggie led the Science Division and could pick and choose who were on her team. Dan had been her partner when she returned to the city and he was competent, but moreover, he held the same respect and understanding for aliens that she did. She normally didn’t like having a partner or even worked well with partners, but with Alex… _after_ Alex, having someone to watch her back wasn’t such a bad thing. Dan had been in her corner when she railed against the system and how they’d treat a small alien boy without parents; the young detective had two young boys of his own, so the very thought of any parent just abandoning their child made his blood boil.

Along with Dan, the updated SD included officers Buck Masters, Shelby Yeo, and John Daniels, along with fellow detectives Roland Pierce and Mike Williams. They were a small team, but they were effective and efficient; Maggie had pretty much gotten the best of the best. While the team was good, the added benefit of DEO resources – and thus, the happy moods Maggie held when she came in – made them even better.

Today however seemed like a strictly, run of the mill SD case – it looked to be a straight robbery gone wrong, with the owner of the building defending himself from an alien trying to rob him. It was cut and dry and most definitely something the main force could’ve handled, if not for the whole alien involvement. But Maggie took it, heading down with Bucky and JD to investigate. She had the two running down clues to see what the underlying facts might be, while she headed back to the station.

Alex had called her earlier to run a name through the database, something Maggie was about to sit down to do. That had been a few hours, so she hoped that hadn’t been an emergency request, though the agent had mentioned she could look whenever she had the chance. Maggie had just reached her desk when her cell began to ring, the unmistakable pop tune she associated with Kara coming from her jacket pocket.

“It must be Danvers Day,” she joked, answering with a smile on her face. Her relationship with Kara was radically different now than it had been the first time she had dated the blonde’s sister. It wasn’t that the two didn’t get along, but it seemed clear that they were friends by necessity – they both loved Alex and Alex loved the both of them, so in keeping the peace, they got along.

Her breakup with Alex had Maggie fleeing from anything that would remind her of the auburn-haired agent and she had done what she normally did after a breakup; she knew how these things worked. Alex’s friends and family would stay her friends and family. They would want nothing to do with her because Maggie was the enemy, she broke Alex’s heart even when her own heart had broken and shattered into pieces.

It was only a random lunch she and Kara, as Supergirl, had that Maggie realized that, once again, her relationship with Alex had been different, special. Kara had apologized for making the detective feel as though they would turn on her or worse, that she hadn’t been their friend as much as Alex was theirs. The blonde had freely admitted that Maggie coming into her sister’s life had thrown her, because it was a change she wasn’t used to.

But then Kara had floored her with her next words –

_“It took me a while, but I finally saw what was happening. I wasn’t losing my sister, I was gaining another one. So, when you two broke up, it was like you were breaking up with us, too. And that’s probably on us, on me. I’m so sorry, Maggie; I’m so sorry that I made you think you weren’t a part of our family and that things were better without you.”_

Maggie had just assumed she had lost her second family, the true home she had cultivated in National City, and had acted accordingly, only to discover that those people had never really left her life. She only needed to think about Eliza Danvers, Alex and Kara’s mother, and her insistence on keeping in contact to understand that.

Since getting back together with Alex, Maggie’s relationship with Kara was a lot more cohesive and way friendlier than before. While the detective was more than willing to protect Kara – ‘ride or die’ wasn’t just reserved for Alex or Mattie – she also didn’t coddle the young superhero, something the blonde actually appreciated. Maggie was never hesitant to tell Kara when she was wrong, especially when it came to the law, and it was something the super admired and respected about the detective.

It was easy as a superpowered alien to go around the system, to do things their way because it was easier and simpler, but that was not how the law worked. Supergirl couldn’t be a force for good or even a symbol of peace between aliens and humans if she went around doing the very things that frightened people. Hearing that criminals were using her as a defensive measure in court, that her ‘rescuing’ was being seen as a red tape nightmare for both attorneys and police alike irked Kara.

Her impulsiveness had nearly gotten Alex killed and she knew it had only been her words that had stopped Maggie from doing something stupid and allowed Peter Thompson to tell them where Alex was being held. That had been a valuable lesson for Kara – there were times for just punching and times for talking. The trick was knowing which to use in a situation.

“Danvers Day, huh?” came the chuckle. “Are you getting calls from every Danvers in the world?”

“Well, if I get a call from Eliza later, then I know it’s not a coincidence,” Maggie joked. “What can I do you for?”

“I have a weird question for you,” Kara began. “Is the NCPD working on any cases that involve aliens and government officials?”

Maggie stopped short of what she was doing – loading up the NCPD database to look up that name Alex needed – and sat back in her chair, her silence telling the blonde that she had indeed asked a weird question.

“I told you it was weird.”

“Yeah, it is,” Maggie murmured. “But it’s only weird cause the answer is yes. My partner is actually investigating the disappearance of the governor’s aide. Got reported early this morning and the word is that some alien was trying to shake him down.”

“Do you know what it was about?” asked the blonde, her reporter’s senses now on high alert.

“Not as of yet,” the detective stated. “It’s still early to give you anything concrete, but I’ll look into it, okay? I can have Danny give you a call.”

“That’s perfect,” Kara said, her smile easily heard over the line. “Thanks, Maggie.”

“No prob,” came the reply. “I’m guessing you’re working on a story?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Did you see that video that came out this morning? The one with Gov. Marks and what looks to be a couple of aliens?”

“No.”

“I’ll send it to you,” Kara replied. “It might actually help your partner’s case.”

Maggie heard the ding of a text message coming in, quickly checking to see that it was Kara sending her that link. “Thanks much.”

“Okay, I’ll you go. That was all I needed.” Kara quickly amended her statement. “Oh hey, are you guys in for game night tomorrow?”

“Alex and Mattie should be,” Maggie replied. “Depending on how my case goes, I may be there or I may not. I know that severely disappoints you.”

“It does,” Kara said, seriously. “It really does. I mean, how will we even get through the night? How we do go on without you, Maggie?”

“If you start singing, I will absolutely hang up on you.”

“Well, fine then.” The two laughed at the absurdity before Kara said her goodbyes, leaving Maggie to continue working. Closing out the call, Maggie clicked on the text message Kara had sent her and started watching the video. She could why it was of interest – one of those figures did look a lot like their governor and while the detective couldn’t make out the supposed alien faces, she could definitely tell it was an alien’s hand that was under that jacket.

Sitting back in her chair, she regarded her phone, wondering what this could even mean before she sent a text to Alex.

**_Sawyer: Hey, what was that name you needed?_ **

It only took a second for the reply to come in.

**_Danvers: Dan Maths. Possible alias._ **

**_Sawyer: Got it. Gimme a sec._ **

Maggie typed in the name, first into the NCPD offender database, then went further outwards to both the state and federal databases. In all three cases, nothing came up, even when using the full first name; Alex always had good instincts and hers had obviously seen what was clearly an alias.

**_Sawyer: You’re right. Don’t let it go to your head._ **

The agent replied with a wink emoji.

**_Danvers: Too late. May need help getting into the car. Heading out in a bit to get the boy. Want us to pick up food?_ **

**_Sawyer: I would love you both forever if you did._ **

**_Danvers: I thought you already did. LOL_ **

Maggie couldn’t help but smile at that. She had always and firmly believed in the strength of a relationship was whether it could handle both good times and bad; she had ups and downs in past relationships, but they never seemed as strong as she believed them to be. Sometimes it was them, sometimes it was her, but it was always something that tore them apart.

What she and Alex had, both the previous time and now, was flexible, but above all, it was the strongest relationship the detective ever had. They had ups and downs, but even when they had broken up, they had never been far from the other’s mind; getting back together didn’t seem as far fetched as they thought.

Now, they were stronger than ever.

Putting the phone, Maggie grabbed her case notes, determined to get through her earlier scene. It should a clean case, but often times all it took was one statement, one person, or one event that could change everything. That call from Kara had peaked Maggie’s curiosity – the video was trending, she had seen that, and there were implications there that needed to be discussed. The very fact that the governor’s aide had up and disappeared right around the same time was to strange too not be related.

Heaving a knowing sigh, Lt. Sawyer got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Dan sings is [It's All Been Done by Barenaked Ladies](https://youtu.be/hm8yG8sBrIE)


	5. Chapter IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Guardian and Supergirl run into some familiar friends, while Maggie gets introduced to Dan Maths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED DEC 2018: made some grammar changes, as well as some updated background elements to support the current season.

Night time in National City could be anything from swank, high-life parties to friendly, family get togethers to illegal activities. On some nights, James Olsen could be seen at the second, with their weekly game night which could be held over at Kara’s apartment or within the alien bar they had all taken as their own.

Some nights, Olsen would be at one of those swanky, important people parties. In the past, it was because of his position within the Planet and CatCo; currently, it was because of who his girlfriend was. If you had told him that he would one day be dating the half sister of his best friend’s archnemesis, he would’ve laughed, loudly, and then called either the police or local hospital.

Dating Lena Luthor just seemed to further expose him to the hero lifestyle, though maybe not as he may have originally thought. Lena was brilliant, extremely so, and most of her endeavors were trying to use that brilliance to not only change the way people viewed the Luthor name, but to change the world for the better. For all of her money and prestige, the raven haired woman was very humble in her efforts, waving away her own participation in helping to drive off the Daxamites and bringing back Sam Arias from the brink of destruction and death.

James had learned many things about Lena, but more importantly, he learned somethings about himself when around her. His initial thoughts on her were directly tied to her half brother and mother and secretly, he had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for her to suddenly declare herself the heir apparent to the Luthor name and she was finishing what Lex and Lillian had started.

Thankfully, that never happened, but it had gotten close. Lena wasn’t evil, she just had a dogged determination to make things right, to save people, to change how people viewed her, but she had done things to achieve those ends that skewed her perceptions. James often wondered what would have happened if Lena didn’t have such a strong support system around her; true, Lex Luthor had Clark, but even the man of steel wasn’t enough to keep Lex on the straight and narrow and their relationship went from friendly to venomous.

But Lena had Kara, she still had Sam and Ruby, she even had Alex and Maggie, and she had him. She had a group who could help her, show her how her methods – while good in heart and spirit – would lead her astray.

Some nights, James was everyone’s favorite bro, others he was the attractive eye candy on a business heiress.

And then there were nights like this.

Currently, James was undertaking the third type of activity in National City’s night life – illegal activity. The media CEO wasn’t doing anything illegal, nor was he reporting on anything illegal; he was _stopping_ anything illegal. Dressed in his Guardian uniform, complete with mask, James had already broken up a robbery at the art gallery, preventing the thieves from breaking in and rounding them up for the police.

Across town, Agent Chase was sitting at his station within the DEO, watching the vigilante’s back while simultaneously keeping an eye on the city. The reason for the DEO and the Guardian to work together was more than just familiarity between certain agents and the black man, it actually made feasible sense – as agents of the DEO, their job was to keep watch over the city for anything out of the ordinary, including crime, and thus reporting it to their resident superhero.

While Supergirl was the de facto person to call during a crime, the abilities of Guardian could not be discounted and he was a valuable ally to have.

“Surprised you didn’t put a bow on them,” Chase joked, watching as the tracker on Guardian’s bike took the turn on Baker Place towards the heart of the city.

“Don’t want the PD to think I’m going soft on them,” came the gruff reply. “Just because they know my name.”

“Pretty sure Sawyer would save you from the masses.”

Chase watched his live map, the glow of the streets and buildings on the grid lighting up like a neon digital city. For being the career law enforcement man that he was, working at the DEO was completely different from anything he’d ever done before. Certainly, that was mostly because he had never really worked with aliens before – that was something they didn’t really have in Coast City – but he though it was better to roll with the punches instead of outright complain.

And honestly, after the first few assignments and cases that came through, Cam really thought he’d gotten a handle on the weird things that happened in this town. Maybe.

Hopefully.

Eyeing the grid, he noticed a ping pop up before enlarging the blip on the screen. “Guardian, you up for one more?” he asked.

“Hit me.”

“Something’s going down at Plastino,” Cam replied, using some of the security cameras to get a closer look. “There’s movement on the ground and I’m pretty sure it’s not security.”

“I’m on it,” the vigilante responded, maneuvering his bike towards the chemical plant.

“If things start getting hairy…”

“I’ll let you send in the cavalry,” Guardian huffed, though there was some humor in his voice. Despite the rocky beginning, the two had formed a very good team, one of respect and protection; Cam would never replace Winn by any means, but the fact that the agent always kept the ‘threat’ of sending Supergirl or the rest of the DEO to James’ location if he thought things were spiraling out of control usually kept James from doing anything truly dangerous.

The photographer and current CEO had learned the hard way about what could happen when he blindly went chasing after a story. Being tied together with the Children of Liberty and then trying to get the real story from the inside had nearly led to his death and the death of Supergirl, which he would've been the cause of. And it had put a huge strain on his relationship with Lena, especially when she had been adamant about him backing off. It almost felt like déjà vu - this was the same issue he'd had with Lucy, when he'd put everything else above his relationship with her and probably why the budding one he may have had with Kara didn't get started.

James had spent some time figuring out what he wanted in life and how he could reconcile that with his need to protect.

Plastino Chemicals was a chemical manufacturing company and was one of the biggest within the state itself. The plant made a number of chemicals, from basic polymers and inorganics to crop protection; many of National City’s own products were manufactured and distributed from there. Ordinarily, the plant was usually active during the day, with workers and personnel coming and going throughout; very rarely would there be nighttime employees, other than the security guards that patrolled the area, maintenance worker, or the odd manager or C-suite exec that was working overtime.

The roar of the motorcycle echoed around the domed structures as Guardian drove up on the upper walkway. He cut the engine as soon as he came to a spot, not wanting to alert whoever was lurking around to his presence. “Where is he?” he asked, quietly.

“West side,” Cam reported. “Heads up, I don’t it’s just one guy.”

“Hold all my calls.”

The agent grimaced, though he knew Guardian couldn’t see it. “Yes, your majesty.”

James held a smirk in hearing the grumble, making his way along the walkway and towards the west side. There wasn’t a real to hit a chemical manufacturing plant, during the day or night, so having people there wasn’t adding up for the former photographer. Corporate espionage could be a consideration, but seeing as that could easily be done during the day, thanks to advances in technology.

“Any sign as to what these guys are up to?”

“Only thing on the west side are some of the offices,” Cam stated. “And more of the actual processing plants. I got two bogeys situated around…oh fantastic.”

“What?”

“I just picked another one on the far side, with two coming up,” the agent said. “And there’s another three hanging out near one of the plants. This feels too weird, Olsen. Like a gang got their signals crossed and sent two or more groups instead of the one.”

“Well,” Guardian whispered, edging closer towards the plant tower. He could whispered murmurs now and began to move. “Nothing says we can’t find out a little more.”

“Damn it, ranger,” Chase murmured. “You are a crazy bastard. I’ll watch your six.”

 

* * *

 

It was already the start of evening when Kara got an unknown text message.

**_Meeting contact at Plastino Chem. 9:30pm. Come alone. TH_ **

It was from Truth Hertz, telling her about the meeting with their contact. In any other circumstance, meeting a still unknown person, who was meeting _another_ unknown person so late at night would've been a red flag to anyone else; luckily, Kara was a superpowered alien, so she knew she could get out of the situation if something came up.

The answers to pressing questions were close at hand and something Kara, as a reporter, couldn’t exactly pass up. For now, the video in question was still suspect, but if this meeting could shed some light on it, could actually give some credence to it, the blonde could see this being a big article for her. But only if she could get credible sources.

This meeting would help, but maybe speaking with Maggie’s partner could be a help as well. She had noted the governor’s aide in the video and she couldn’t help but wonder if the aide Detective Dan Turpin was looking for was one in the same.

Waiting the three hours for the appropriate meeting time was maddening, though thankfully there was a small fire that took some time – not the fire per se, but the evacuation, making sure that everyone had been rescued, and were safe – so by the time she had gotten back to her apartment, changed, and flying down to the chemical plant, she was about five minutes ahead of schedule.

Plastino Chemicals was exceedingly dark at night, save for a few safety lights to help the night workers get around. Kara had sent a text back to the unknown number, acknowledging that she had arrived and received a location to meet quickly after. She had noted some movement around the west side of the plant, so she had headed there and landed the short distance so she could walk up. She could see someone standing by one of the manufacturing plants and as she got closer, she realized it was TH, fidgeting in the darkness as if waiting for someone.

Thankfully there was a bit of light on this side of the plant, not enough for exposure, but enough that – if any closer – you could be identified. As soon as she stepped into the soft lighting, she saw TH flinch before realizing who the figure was. “Sorry, I’m late,” she whispered, coming closer. TH was still wearing the same clothes from earlier and even the same pair of shades.

“You’re actually early,” TH replied. “That’s good. My guy doesn’t like to be kept waiting and whatever’s going down has got him rattled, so the sooner we get something, the sooner we can walk away.”

Kara nodded, looking around slightly. In a show of adjusting her glasses, she used the distraction to scope the area – nothing seemed out of the ordinary; she could hear walking, mostly that of the maintenance workers and another set she attributed to the security guards off in the distance. They’d have about maybe twenty minutes before the latter came towards them and a few more steps that she couldn't make out, one set coming closer to them and a few more in the area, but at a distance.

The ones in the distance has her unnerved, until she shook it off as just office workers, people inside who were obviously working late or janitorial services. The steps that were getting closer, however, were her immediate concern, until she heard TH exhale loudly.

“Jesus, Peters.”

The person named Peters was a much shorter man versus the other two, only a little over 5ft and a lot more rotund. He had light brown hair that was balding in the middle and green eyes that were enlarged thanks to his bulbous glasses. He was dressed in a suit, though he had since discarded the jacket, and he was slightly out of breath by the time he reached them.

“Sorry, sorry,” the man named Peters huffed. Looking towards Kara, his eyes got wide and he took a step back. “Who’s that?”

“Relax,” TH replied. “She’s with me. She’s gonna help get the truth out.”

Peters glared for a moment before shaking his head. “Whatever,” he muttered. “It doesn’t matter. They’re after me, so I have to tell you this quick.”

“Wait, what?”

“Who’s after you?” asked Kara.

“Them!” Peters hissed. “Some strange aliens are looking for me. I saw them lurking around in the corridor and I know it’s because of what I know.”

“Which is?” the reporter questioned.

“Back off,” TH admonished, sending a look to the blonde. Turning back to Peters, they asked, “Tell us what we need to know.”

Peters took a breath. “I work in processing,” he said. “Just office work, but I’ve noticed some equipment and supplies have been heading out to some place called PC, but I don’t know what it stands for. Then I was talking to one of the management secretaries and she was telling me that a few of the managers were meeting with the governor and the mayor.”

“The mayor?” Kara asked. “As in Mayor Kurney?”

Peters nodded. “I don’t know what aliens have to do with anything,” he said. “But I have seen them, the aliens I mean, and I have seen Gov. Marks speaking with them.”

TH sent a look towards Kara, a smirk on their face signifying that that was the proof she needed. It wasn’t exactly what she was looking for – she wanted a verifiable source, preferably with actual, clear imagery, but she was just getting started so even just these two accounts were the stepping stone to something more.

“Could I get you on the rec…”

Before Kara could even finish the sentence, she watched as Peters gasped, his eyes growing wide in alarm. He clutched his chest before sputtering blood began bubbling from his lips, and dripped slowly from the corner of his mouth. The round man stumbled back, hitting the ground with a soft thud. The Kryptonian just knew from the look on his face the man was dead.

She spared one look to TH, who was just as stunned, before turning forward to see what had happened. She saw two large figures standing in the shadows and she thought she saw a third who disappeared under the domed structures. The sounds of running alerted her to two things – the first was that someone was running towards the two figures, while the second was running _away_ from her.

Kara didn’t check to confirm the second, instead she ripped open her shirt, revealing the Kryptonian crest that was ever present on her suit and rushed into action. She felt the rush of wind go by her, right as a familiar shield ended up hitting one of the figures straight in the chest and pushing them backwards.

“Fancy meeting you here,” came the gruff response besides her.

“We do tend to run in the same circles,” she quipped, preparing a fighting stance.

Dark though it was, Kara could make out the tendrils on the shoulders of both and instinctively knew these were the same species of alien that she had encountered earlier in the day. While she had figured there might not be just the one, she hadn’t really counted on there being more than just that guy sitting in a DEO containment cell.

The words from the mysterious stranger came back to her - he had stated that wasn’t the only alien she would need to deal with.

“Puny humans,” one of the aliens snarled. “Why do you even bother?”

“We are warriors,” stated the other. “Bred to destroy weak and inferior beings such as yourself.”

“You’ll discover we aren’t as weak as you think,” Guardian snarled.

“Come then,” said one. “Show us your ‘skills’.”

Guardian and Supergirl didn’t waste any time in engaging the pair, with the two battling their alien opponents before them. These two were definitely warriors as they said, because neither one seemed to be pulling any of their punches and unlike some of the petty criminals the two might run into, these aliens were able to telegraph the moves the protectors were throwing out. The alien Guardian fought caught him with a punch to the gut before upper cutting him, causing him to fly back in the air towards the cooling body of Peters.

Supergirl was able to duck the hit coming towards her, but losing her fighting partner meant this was now a 2 on 1 fight and one that she was quickly losing. She didn’t even see the blast coming to her chest, rocketing her back towards Guardian and Peters. Getting her bearings, she could only see and hear the two aliens turning and hurrying off.

“James! James, can you hear me!?”

“Yeah, I got you, Hawkeye,” Guardian answered, slowly getting himself into a sitting position and looking over at Kara. “You alright?” he asked.

Supergirl nodded, also sitting up. And immediately turned to look down at Peters, she checked for a pulse at his neck, but knew she most likely wouldn't find one.

“I pulled surveillance on your perps,” Chase replied. “We definitely got two aliens and what looks like a third. You know anyone with a shiny red eye?”

That description perked up the vigilante, causing him to look over at the super. “Get an ambulance over here,” he stated. “We got a man down.”

“Supergirl?” Chase had noted her heat signature was in the area.

“She’s fine,” Guardian stated. “Another guy. And send that image over to Detective Sawyer and let her know what happened.”

“Copy that.”

“Did Cam get something?”

James nodded. “He got an eye on the guys that attacked us,” he said. “And something else. What were you doing down here anyway?”

“I was working on that story,” Kara replied. “Get Cam send a text to Alex. Let her know we just ran into two more of those aliens. And…I think we absolutely need to speak to Dan Maths.”

“Who?”

“He’s this guy I thought was stalking me,” she stated. “Now, I’m not so sure.”

 

* * *

 

Evening within the Sawyer-Danvers home had quieted down since dinner. Alex and Maggie were lounging on the couch, with the latter draped over the agent’s lap, one of Alex’s hands intertwined with hers, while the other alternated between running through her hair and picking up the beer that rested besides them.

Their nightly routine pretty much followed the same way their morning routine did. The two would switch on who picked up Mattie from daycare, though Alex often found herself volunteering for the job, so Maggie could continue working if it meant she could leave in the evenings. There was probably a selfish reason for it – Alex loved Mattie, adored him like no one before or since and sometimes the depth of that surprised and confounded her.

Alex never shied away from the fact that she had dreamt about being a mother one day, though it did take a number of years for her to truly think about what that entailed. She had always imagined her, her husband, and two children – both girls – living in some idyllic house, possibly near her mother in Midvale. Even when the faces of her ‘family’ would blurred – she had never truly put faces to her imaginations – she knew that was what she wanted more than anything.

Of course, as she moved from child to teen to young adult to official adult, those thoughts and dreams had changed. For one, that husband would now be changed to a wife, as Alex had confronted and then embraced her new reality; secondly, the face of who that wife would be was no longer blurred. It was Maggie; always had been, always would be. Even when she had been with other people, they had never been slotted into that spot, no matter how hard she tried or wished it.

The other change was the gender of her child. It wasn’t that Alex had never wanted a son, it was just she had molded her storybook life on what she knew. She had been an only child and then was suddenly a sister and while having a sister had been more downs than ups, especially during their teen years, Alex loved Kara and wouldn’t change anything about their relationship. It just never occurred to her having a son.

But now, she did, because there was absolutely no other way to think of Mattie, even before she had thought about asking Maggie to marry her again – which the detective had preempted by asking _her_ – the boy was just as much hers as he was the Latina's. Waiting for him to meet her outside, the way his smile lit up his face when he saw her, the tight way he’d hug her as soon as he was near…

Mattie was especially excited today, because they had learned a new song and got to bang on little drums for it. The boy’s enthusiasm was too hard to ignore and the agent was reminded of why she wanted to be a mother in the first place – the ability to pass on the knowledge her mother (and father) had passed on to her, that was passed on to them, and so on and so forth.

Their conversation went from there, with Mattie telling her about the bet he and Maggie had made that morning, causing Alex to smirk, but refusing to answer who actually won until Maggie got home. They actually managed to arrive home - after picking up dinner from the Shake Shack - around the same time Maggie was getting off her Triumph within their parking garage. The detective had waved at the boy, opening the back door and catching him when he went to hug her. Alex had grabbed dinner before going around to meet her fiancée and son, throwing an arm around Maggie’s shoulder and giving Mattie’s arm an affectionate squeeze.

That was a few hours ago – after dinner, after compromising on the bet between the two Sawyers, with Mattie having to watch Maggie’s documentary while in the park, after a bath, and after bedtime – and the two adults had settled down on the couch, throwing on The Blacklist season 2, though they had seen this episode before and just wanted a quick refresher. Maggie’s breathing had started to even out, a sign that she was lightly dozing and had about a few moments before she would drift off to sleep completely.

This had been the same level of domesticity they had shared before, though they didn’t have a child in the mix, a topic had been a sore source between them at the time. It was amazing how two short years could change everything. Would they be where they were now if not for that time apart? What if they had stayed together or gotten together sooner? It was an interesting thought and one that had passed through Alex’s mind a few times since.

Tonight however, she was going to just enjoy the feel and warmth of the gorgeous brunette currently resting on her lap. The agent tipped her head against the couch, her eyes closing and the body taking the same route as her fiancée and probably would have drifted off if not for the chime that signaled an incoming text, followed by another.

“That’s not me,” Alex murmured, her eyes still closed. Maggie uttered a soft growl, opening her eyes in annoyance. After a short period and possibly out of curiosity, the detective leaned over to grab her phone and looked at the incoming text.

**_James O: FYI. Bad news headed our way._ **

The text was accompanied by a security image, showing two aliens standing side by side, as though ready for a fight. It was the third figure, the one nearly out of frame and standing in the shadows, that was the stand out feature as far as Maggie was concerned. The image was in black and white, but the detective would remember the face of the individual calling himself Cyborg Superman any day.

She never forgot the people who shot her.

Sitting up, she turned to Alex, only for the agent's own phone to ding with an incoming message. Leaning over, the agent grabbed it off the coffee table.

**_Kara: We need to talk to Dan Maths tomorrow._ **

“I don’t supposed you happened to have gotten a message about two unknown aliens?”

Maggie showed her the image sent by James.

“Are you busy tomorrow?”

“I have a feeling I’ll be investigating this,” the detective gestured to the phone. “Why?”

“Wanna conduct an interrogation?”

Maggie smirked. “Danvers, you always know how to sweet talk a girl.”

 

* * *

 

The next day, Dan found himself in a different type of room, this one also made of steel, but with a rectangular table in the center and two chairs, one on each side. He had a pretty good idea why he was in there, though he wasn’t exactly looking forward to having to spill all he knew; he hoped he could just give a quick rundown on the Calendian and go from there, but he didn’t think that was the case.

He knew the people he was dealing with and they could be stubborn as hell.

Looking around the enclosure, he noticed the camera that was above him to the right. That camera, he knew, was patched in to an adjacent room where he was sure the others would be monitoring him and his answers. The only thing he didn’t know was who would be conducting this obvious interrogation and what the outcome would be from it.

The door opened, revealing the familiar form of Detective Sawyer, dressed in a casual dark business suit, a stark contrast to her normal uniform or even casual wear. Brown eyes met brown eyes, with the latter widening in surprise and the former doing her best to keep her composure. “Maggie!?” cried the young man. “Are you serious?”

Detective Sawyer’s first impression of one Dan Maths was one of curiosity. Alex hadn’t told her much, wanting the officer to make her own conclusions, but she did run down the events of how the DEO happened to have come by him. Walking towards the table, she replied to his exclamation. “You have me at a disadvantage.” Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a box of Jelly Belly jelly beans. “Heard you had a craving.”

She handed over the box before sitting down in the chair across from him. “Why jelly beans?”

Maths had already opened the box and popped some of the candy in his mouth by the time Maggie had sat down and was swallowing as she asked her question. “I find them to be calming,” he stated.

“You’re the second person I know who does that,” she said.

“That right.”

“Agent Danvers thought I should…”

“Come by and assess my mental state,” Dan smirked, leaning back in his chair and popping a few more jelly beans in his mouth. “See if you can get the actual truth from me or if you need to send me to St. Sully’s?”

“She just thought we should have a conversation,” Maggie replied.

Dan gave her a knowing look. “And I shouldn’t worry about the camera that’s actually a two way viewing mirror?” he asked, pointing up. Turning he waved to it before looking back at the detective. “My mom’s a cop, _Detective Sawyer_. I know how interrogations work.”

“Well,” the brunette huffed. “You obviously know more than me. Not even sure why I got called in. You seem to be on the up and up.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you,” the stranger quipped. “And I know why you’re here. They’re hoping I’ll tell you something I haven’t told them.”

“Which is what?”

“The reason I’m here.”

“And why are you here?” she asked.

Dan sighed and for the first time, Maggie could see a vulnerability about him, as though he had gone through something hard. “You’ll think I’m crazy,” he said. “Not that you all don’t already.” He dumped a few of his remaining jelly beans on the table and began to arrange them, seemingly by color.

“I just wanna help,” he whispered.

“Then help me, help you,” Maggie replied. “Let’s start with that, at least.”

The young man nodded. Looking straight at Maggie, he said, “I’m from the future. I came from the 31st century, which is where your new alien friends have come from. They’re Calendians and why they’re here and what they want here is the reason why _I’m_ here.

“There’s…something more at play here than either of us knows and in order to get to the bottom of it, we need to speak to that not at all friendly Calendian that’s currently stewing in a containment cell.”

Maggie sat back in her chair, staring inquisitively at the man before her. She was a detective, she detected, and right now, she detected that he wasn’t lying or at least he didn’t think he was lying. “I can’t lie,” she said. “I’m finding that story a little far fetched.”

“Really?” the man chuckled. “You deal with aliens and alien invasions on a daily basis and _time travel_ is what you’re hung up on? C’mon.”

“Hey, if you were on this side of the table, it would sound strange to you, right?” she asked, getting a knowing nod in return. “So, why don’t you just prove your claim?”

“That I’m from the future?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay…how?”

Maggie shrugged. “How about the winning lotto numbers for next week?”

Dan actively laughed at that. “Yeah, right,” he chuckled. “No. You’ve seen Back to the Future; you _own_ Back to the Future! You know what happens when old Biff goes back to the past to give young Biff that book of world series scores. Besides, as I keep telling everyone – who refuse to listen to me – that’s not important.

“What’s important is that I know enough about you because I know you, so that should theoretically be enough to listen to me when I say that those green aliens coming to the planet are bad news.”

“Still haven’t exactly proven anything,” the detective pointed out.

Dan rolled his eyes. “Fine, _Margarita Rodas_ ,” he said, shocking her. “I will provide you the proof you are so desperately are in need of. Still keep your handy dandy notebook in your coat pocket?”

Maggie tried to keep her face stoney, but hearing her given name – especially from a literal stranger – unnerved her. While he may have looked non-threatening, there was a cunning aura around the young man that seemed dangerous; dangerous enough to not underestimate him at any time, ever.

“Don’t look so surprised,” came his comment, clearly seeing the effect of his words.

Slamming the small book on the table, she slid it across to him, along with a pen. Pointing at it, she said, “Proof. Now.”

Sighing dramatically, Maths flipped open the book, finding a blank page and beginning to write within, all the while grumbling about it.

“Dios mio,” he muttered, shooting an annoyed look at the detective. “No puedo creer que me estás haciendo hacer esto. Esto es una pérdida de tiempo, espero que lo sepas.”

Waving the pen at her, he continued with, “No estoy del todo contento con ninguna de tus elecciones.” Finishing in a huff, he passed the notebook back to her before crossing his arms in a pout.

Maggie took a few moments to look at what he had written, looking him inquisitively. Closing the pad, she said, “I’ll be right back. I need to check something.”

“And by that, you mean check in with the others in the room next door?” Dan asked. Maggie didn’t say anything, just pushed her chair back and proceeded to walk out. “Thanks for the jelly beans!” he called after her.

As predicted, Maggie left the interrogation room and easily walked the short corridor to the room that was next door, seeing Alex, J’onn, and Kara all waiting for her. Kara was dressed for work, having given a statement to Maggie earlier about what had happened last night; in the aftermath, TH had seemingly disappeared and she had been unable to actually reach him, despite texting and even calling the only number she had. As a source, she couldn’t actually state who else was there with her, but she was able to tell the detective that the dead man was named Peters, that he worked in processing at Plastino Chemicals, and that he may have known something that got him killed.

Holding up the notebook, the detective walked over, saying, “I think you need to see this.” She then flipped open the notebook to the page Dan had filled out, handing it over to Alex as she did so.

Alex, along with the others, looked at the rather neat handwriting that is on the page. The first two listings are addresses, in two different places, but both were known to those in the room. “Is that…?” Kara asked, looking at the first address. “Why does this guy know where our house is?”

“And my favorite nighttime snack,” J’onn murmured.

“And my favorite movie!” Kara exclaimed, immediately looking at the large monitor on the wall before her, surprised to see the stranger staring back at her. His arms were still folded, but instead of wearing the disappointed face he had when Maggie left him, he now looked smug, as though he was well aware of what they were reading and there was no way they could possibly dismiss him.

“Do you think he’s for real?” asked Maggie, collectively, but her eyes were on Alex.

“It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility,” J’onn answered. “While we haven’t dealt with time travel often, we have dealt with it. And in my experience, it’s better to deal with it head on instead of ignoring it. I think we’re going to give Mr. Maths a reasonable doubt here, until we can prove him wrong.”

The others nodded with the conclusion, allowing J’onn to make his way towards the door and to the interrogation room. Alex and Maggie hung back, both looking at the young man through the monitor screen, causing Kara to watch them in confusion.

“Notice the date?” asked the Latina.

“Yeah.”

“What’s with the date?” Kara asked. It had been the last entry on the list, stated as May 12th, only a few months from now.

“Don’t worry about it,” Alex replied, handing the pad back to Maggie, and leading the detective passed her sister and following J’onn out the door.

The group appeared in the doorway of the interrogation room, surprising their captive. “Mr. Maths,” the Martian said, his voice booming in the small room. “We’ve verified your claims, for now, but I believe it might be in our best interest to enlist your help with our alien friends.”

“Friends?” Dan asked, standing quickly. “You’ve seen more of them?”

“Two more,” Kara stated. “To be exact. Looks like you were right about that alien bringing back up.”

“I wish I wasn’t,” the stranger muttered.

“How can we trust you?” asked Alex, her eyes narrowed.

“Obviously, I can’t reveal everything to you,” Dan replied. “That could seriously compromise everything and I’m not willing to do that just to prove myself to you. I can’t. But I can give enough to _hopefully_ show you that we’re not exactly strangers and that I’m actually here to help.”

“And how are you going to do that?” Kara asked. “What is it you know that we don’t?”

“Right now,” Maths said. “I am the foremost authority and expert on the Calendian species in this room. I can only guess that if you’re all here then Brainy didn’t know enough to help in that regard; no disrespect to him because he may not even know about the species, but I do. And if you’re going to stop these guys, then you’re going to need _me_.”

“Follow us,” J’onn commanded, not waiting for answer, and instead turning to head back into the DEO proper.

Dan made to follow, but was stopped by both Alex and Maggie as they blocked the only way out. “Ladies.”

“How did you know?” Alex whispered.

“About?”

“The date.”

Dan looked at the two, first in surprise and then with a small smile on his face. “Why wouldn’t I know the date you got married?” he asked. “I was at the wedding.” The smile dropped however when a thought occurred to him. “The two of you _are_ still getting married right?”

“You tell us,” Maggie said.

“No, _you_ tell _me_ ,” Dan insisted. “Any little change in the timeline could completely change it. I’m trying to _not_ Marty McFly myself out of existence.”

“Yes,” Alex replied, giving the man a look. “We are still getting married, but what strikes me as odd and highly suspicious, is why that’s so important to you.”

“Uh, I just told you,” the stranger said. “I would like to still exist. I mean, I’ll exist, but you know, you two getting married will make my existence a lot better. And besides, it was a fun wedding.” Nodding, the young man slipped between the two of them and continued the way Kara and J’onn had gone.

Something wasn’t sitting right with either Alex or Maggie. It was one thing to have suspicions about Kara being Supergirl – Maggie herself routinely stated that the glasses weren’t fooling anyone, despite it obviously fooling _many_ people – but knowing about their childhood home in Midvale, the one their mother still lived in, knowing the address of Maggie’s aunt in Blue Springs, J’onn’s love of Chocos, Kara’s favorite movie…

The most disturbing thing was that date, that date of May 12th. Dan had stated that was the day Alex and Maggie had gotten married, for him at least; however, the two had only come to that date just recently, around two weeks ago to be exact. The two had tried to figure out a good time that they could have the most important people with them, but wouldn’t be hindered by a huge wedding.

They had extended their engagement for slightly longer than the last time they had been engaged, something Alex and Maggie had thought would allow them to do things right this time. Thankfully, getting back together meant they spent a lot more time on maintaining their formerly tight communication, hoping to avoid the same issues they had earlier. The date wasn’t particularly significant, it would be of course, but the day was to be about them, about coming together when it seemed they would never have this wonderful thing again.

Dan’s knowledge and apparent interest in their special day, something they had only just come to decide on, was strange. Even more, Dan seemed to know exactly where Kara and J’onn had gone, not even waiting for the agent or the detective to lead him out towards the command center.

That was stranger still and possibly dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Dan's rant translation** : Oh my god, I can't believe you're making me do this. This is a waste of time, I hope you know. I am not at all happy with your choices.


	6. Chapter V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gov. Marks tries to downplay the video and receives a visitor, Dan Maths comes clean about his mission and is allowed to question the Caledonian, while Maggie and Kara investigate the murder of Plastino Chemical worker Peters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I may have made my feelings about certain...political parties...known in this chapter. I wasn't trying to, just kinda happened in the process of describing Marks. So heads up on that.
> 
> I've also screwed up the location of National City's government buildings. Obviously, the governor works out of the capital city, which IRL is Sacremento, but because it's about 5 hours to LA (the base for National City) and 8 hours to the _actual_ National City, I'm gonna magic hand wave this and make National City the capital of California.
> 
> We'll pretend that until otherwise specifically stated or proven. This is on me, kids. Did not think to research this beforehand, which was lazy and usually not my bag, baby, so my bad.
> 
> Because I've got two Dans in this, I'll be referring to our mysterious stranger by his last name of Maths.
> 
> Lastly, in my infinite wisdom, I've decided to try and put some Kryptonian language in this thing. In doing this, I've discovered I am horrible at it. So I have to give props to Argyle_S and their wonderful story [The Shape of Things to Come](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13643865), which supplies a lot of Kryptonian as well as a source for it, which is over at [Kryptonian.info](kryptonian.info) I totally stole a great line from it and I bow down to their deeper knowledge of Kryptonian than I. Go read their fic, the first in a series. 
> 
> After reading this latest chapter of course.

Friday morning in National City was like any other day – most people were counting down the hours until it was finally the weekend. For the government offices and the people that worked in them, Friday was one of the busiest days they worked; people always tried to get their errands done before the weekend and foolishly thought or hoped they could beat the throng of people, only to be surprised when others had the same idea.

In the offices of Gov. Peter Marks, it was business as usual, though things were a little tense within the building. The discovery of a TMZ video that showed someone who looked like Marks speaking to what appeared to be two aliens was all the talk since its release late Wednesday night; the staff had been fielding calls left and right to try and downplay the video, but Marks was seriously contemplating calling a press conference to put the matter to rest.

To make matters worse, his aide Trevor Grossman, had seemingly disappeared soon after and no amount of calling, texting, emailing, or even stopping by his home had done anything.

This was not the Friday the governor wanted; not at all.

Peter Marks knew how the government worked, being a career politician since grade school. He had run for class president throughout his school days, winning some and losing others, even running for head of several school organizations. Marks had served within the state legislature and congress before being appointed governor of the state. His platforms had always started grandiose, but appealed to the common man – he always fought and focused on the days when things were simple and, in a certain point of view, benefitted those who deserved it.

As he moved up through the government branches, his stance never changed, however his focus did. With the growing influx of aliens in National City, Marks took a stand against them – the city, the state, the country, and the world was for humans; humans were the ones who fought against threats and humans were often the ones caught up in any disturbance or violence that was caused by these invaders.

Many aliens took the form of humans, like the city’s own Supergirl or Metropolis’ Superman, so it was hard to distinguish these vermin. Marks saw the wind of change over the years – people were terrified of these things, but more than just having these aliens here; these creatures were changing how life was for humans. Marks’ platform was all about preserving and upholding the simple times.

Those simple times were when women were still in the home, when children respected their elders and other adults, when men worked to put food on their tables, when people knew their places and didn’t rock the boat. In those days, there weren’t abhorrent protests on rights, because everyone knew what their rights were; there were no rainbow flags hung like slaps in people’s faces, no kneeling to protest some absurd notion of inequality, no lip from women who should be at home minding the children, etc.

That’s what people wanted these days, the days of yore when everything was how it should be, how it should always be. Marks had aspirations for president, especially in light of the blind siding of learning that their previous world leader was an alien herself; thankfully, it wouldn’t take long before Baker was voted out. The governor had already put his election plans in place, gathering funds for running in the upcoming election.

This video, however, could put a dent to those aspirations.

Since the video’s reveal, Marks hadn’t had a moment’s peace, with reporters calling or approaching him and asking about it. He managed to keep his calm, responding that the video was a fake or something drummed up by the governor’s opponents; inside, he was seething. Walking through the hallway, he immediately called out, “Debbie!” as he passed by the small office of his scheduler.

Darcy Coogan, the governor’s scheduler, immediately hopped up from her desk and hurried out into the hall. Darcy was a young raven-haired woman, in her mid-twenties, and average height; the young woman had an interest in politics since she was a child and she had strived to find a position that would allow her to see the inner workings of government. It wasn’t that she wanted to pursue a career in politics, at least nothing like being a governor or senator or even president; she actually wanted to be a part of, hopefully, something big, something hopeful and helpful.

Her father hadn’t really understood that and while he supported her, he saw how the world was running and his disappointment and disillusionment with the government put a damper on his like for what his daughter was doing. Certainly, learning that she was working for Peter Marks, that disappointment only grew. Darcy didn’t really think anything about it, but she’d be lying if the idea that perhaps she was working in the wrong office or maybe the wrong environment hadn’t struck her.

Definitely the fact that Marks never correctly called her by her actual name and he could make chauvinistic comments about any and everything that wasn’t what he was – straight, white, rich male – was making working there enough of an issue that she thought about quitting, but yet, she was still there.

“Governor,” she replied, hurrying after him.

“What the hell is going on with this video?” he spat.

“Evan’s spoken to a few reporters,” she reported, speaking of his communications director Evan Weeks. “And he’s trying to discover the person responsible for the video in the first place. He’s got a statement for you in the case you want to schedule a press conference.”

“What I _want_ ,” Marks stressed, as they continued down the hall and towards his office. “Is for this video to get taken down and for this trouble making bastard to be arrested. And where the hell is Trevor!?”

“That’s the other thing,” Darcy said. “The officer investigating it, a Detective Turpin, he wants to meet with you again, to learn a little…”

“I’ve already met with him,” Marks huffed. They were walking through the door to his office, with the governor taking a seat behind his desk, while Darcy stood in front of it.

“Why can’t these morons do their job?” he continued. “He only needs to find Trevor, how hard is that?”

Darcy nodded. “That’s what he’s trying to do, sir.”

“Well tell him to do it faster,” the governor hissed. “I don’t have time for this, Darlene. Right now, you’re my aide until Trevor is found. I don’t want to meet with anyone that isn’t one, trying to get this video removed and two, trying to find Grossman. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now use those pretty little hands of yours to get me some coffee.”

The young woman held her tongue against the request, the irony that he had never asked _Trevor_ to get him coffee, just nodding and turning on her heel to leave the office, closing the door behind her. She let out an annoyed sigh, her eyes meeting John Beck, the governor’s chief of staff. Beck had an extensive career in public and government service, especially for such a young man in his early thirties.

The two had a very good working relationship, with Beck doing his best to make an already hostile environment a little more friendly and the two were known to commiserate with each other on really bad days. “How goes the day, soldier?” the COS asked.

Again, Darcy sighed and began the walk towards their little break room, where the coffee maker was, allowing Beck to match her steps. “I’m telling you, Becks,” she replied, using the familiar nickname. “I think I should’ve listened to my pop. I should’ve gone into business.”

Patting her on the shoulder, Beck said, “You’ll be fine, Capt’n.” Leaning over to whisper in her ear, he continued with, “With any luck, this video will be just the thing to get this guy out of office. Lord knows we don’t want him to get further into the breach then he already is.” That caused Darcy to giggle, though she tried to smother it with her hand.

“Stop,” she giggled. “If someone hears you, we’ll _both_ be out of a job.”

“Maybe not such a bad thing, eh?” he joked.

Meanwhile, in Marks’ office, the governor leaned back in his chair, running a hand down his face in frustration. This was not what he wanted his legacy as governor to be and if things didn’t start to go right…

“Problems, Peter?”

The voice didn’t surprise him, however the appearance of the woman did, especially when he had been sure he was the only person in the room. “Problems?” he snarked, letting out a sarcastic laugh. “I’m this close to being a laughing stock.”

“You worry too much,” the figure replied. “This is just a small hiccup; an unknown blip on the landscape and one that we’ve already begun to discover and eliminate.”

“I’m starting to think this was a bad idea,” Marks muttered. “I should have never gotten involved with you people.”

The figure chuckled, walking towards the desk and leaning against it. She was an older woman, perhaps in her mid to late fifties, with brown hair tied in a bun; she wore a relaxed but striking black business suit that hid an athletic build. “Have you ever read Orwell?” she asked. “ _Those who control the present, control the past and those who control the past control the future_. A visionary, Orwell was, dedicated to knowing and understanding the failings of the human species.

“Whether you like it or not,” she continued. “Our species – the human species – is slowly being wiped out and displaced. You’ve seen what happened, with those Kryptonians, the Daxamites, Reign…when will the next invasion happen, I wonder?”

Marks huffed. “The next invasion,” he whispered. “The next invasion will occur whenever you wish it. Isn’t that what you want? What you’re trying to do?”

“It’s a _controlled_ attack,” the woman pressed. “And it’s one we control and at this point, there doesn’t seem to be any other way to show just how much danger we humans are truly in. Besides, who do you think the people will turn to when their city is being besieged by aliens? The former vice president to an alien who fooled an entire country? Or to the man who helped to defend his great city against disaster?”

Marks couldn’t dispute that; it was the whole reason he had decided to get together with this woman and her sketchy underground outfit. The plan may have seemed outlandish, but it had a good basis – sometimes, the only way to show someone what was good for them was to show them the consequences of their ways.

Sighing, Marks looked over at the woman. “Fine,” he whispered. “But the next time your goons want to meet, you pick somewhere that isn’t so public. I already have enough rumors circling with this video, which by the way, how exactly are we going to get those to stop?”

“Leave it to me, Peter,” the woman replied, standing and turning to go. “As I’ve said, we’re looking for the poster now and have taken of one of his subordinates.”

Marks nodded. “I don’t suppose you have to know where my staff aide went?”

“No,” the woman said. “But we are looking for him. You should know that my organization and I do not like loose ends and try to keep things neat and tidy as much as we can. I’ll be in touch.”

The woman turned and headed out through a side door Marks couldn’t remember ever using, much less seeing in his time in office. The door was hidden though, as part of the wall, so perhaps he had just never realized it was there; disturbingly, the fact that the Luthor woman knew about it only entered his mind for a second before his switched gears and picked up his phone.

“Dora,” he barked. “Get me Greg Moss on the phone. Now!”

 

* * *

 

Standing in the command center, the group huddled around the center console and stared up at the wall screens. Maths had finally, _finally_ , been given the chance to try and explain his side of the equation and it felt like the perfect opportunity to get everyone on the same page, at least when it came to the Calendians and whatever else could possibly be at the heart of all this.

He knew he was still on the suspects list – it didn’t escape his notice that he seemed to be enclosed, with J’onn and Alex to his right, Maggie and Kara to his left, and a rather confused Brainy standing just slightly in front to his left – but Maths was hopeful that this would help them see he wasn’t the real enemy here. Brainy, as instructed, at brought their file on the Calendian species, however it was extremely bare as they had never actually encountered the species before, much less even heard about them.

“Director J’onzz,” Brainy began, pointing at the television wall before them. “This is all the information the DEO currently has on the Calendian species, with a few of my own recollections, though I must admit that I am apparently not as familiar with them as Mr. Maths is.”

“Not your fault,” Maths replied, looking at the Coulan. “I have a feeling that your previous trip to this century may have prevented you from knowing about the species. That, or your mission to stop the Blight managed to bring about more changes to the timeline than you may be aware.”

“How do you know that?” Alex asked, surprising the younger man.

“I…I did say I came from the 31st century,” he sputtered. “It’s the same time frame that Brainy comes from, so…of course I would know about the Blight and his mission to stop it from happening. It’s…it’s a part of history. It’s like not knowing that William Henry Harrison only served in office for thirty days or that Neptune and Uranus also have rings, I mean…who doesn’t know that?”

“I find that many truths are often lost to history, time, and change,” J’onn said. “But if this species is something only specific to a certain timeline, then what are they doing here? And what would make them come to Earth?”

“That’s the reason why I’m here,” Maths stated. “Because the answers to your questions are, we don’t know. Calendians as a whole are a xenophobic species. They stick to their own world, their own kind, their own traditions; the planet of Calendia has been around for centuries, however because of their lack of travel and interaction with other species, most people don’t know about them.

“That isn’t to say that we don’t know about them, obviously we do, but only because a few explorers have stumbled on their lawn, so to speak. If those that managed to survive actually left. They are a warrior race and take pride in their combat and fighting skills.”

“That makes sense,” Kara piped up. “Both times I encountered these guys, they were almost excited to fight me and _wanted_ to fight me.”

“They’re kinda like Klingons who don’t like people,” the young man supplied. Shrugging, he amended his statement with, “I guess technically they _are_ Klingons, pre-federation involvement and less on the conquering aspect.”

“That does seem to put us at a distinct disadvantage,” Brainy muttered, pulling up a tablet and looking up something. “Do we have the resources to battle both the Calendians and these…Clingons?”

Maths turned to look at human-passing alien in shock. “Have you not seen Star Trek?” he asked, incredulously, before turning to look at Kara. “Have you not shown him Star Trek?”

“We…we’re getting to it,” Kara stuttered, only causing Maths’ mouth to open in surprise.

“What’ve you been doing this entire time!?”

“Oh, you know,” Alex responded, sarcastically. “Fighting off aliens, stopping a shadowy underground organization bent on killing off said aliens…”

“And at no time, during _any_ down time, you didn’t just have a moment in which to show him the original series?” the young man retorted. “The original series, which is literally like, twenty-two minutes and sets up everything we know within that universe…”

“Mr. Maths,” J’onn interrupted. “Now is not the time. We have other things that take priority.”

The discussion was tabled, for now, though Maths did send out a mutter of ‘I’m just disappointed in your decisions’ before continuing. “Full disclosure,” he added. “I’m going to be making a lot of Star Trek references, not out of spite but because now I probably won’t be able to help myself now. But moving on.” 

Maths used the tablet before him to switch the current from the profile of the Calendian pictured to that of the planet. “This is the planet of Calendia,” he resumed. “As you can see, it’s far off the beaten path and that’s how the Calendians like it. That’s why this sudden surge of them venturing out is disturbing.”

“So Earth isn’t the first planet they’ve been too,” Maggie surmised.

“No,” Maths agreed. “Back in the 31st century, we monitored the fact that there were some bursts of time travel activity and so far, at least that I’m aware of, they all corresponded to them. For some reason, someone has sent these guys back in time to Earth. And we need to find out why.”

“So what exactly is in this for you?” J’onn asked, looking directly at the younger man. Despite everything he tried, the Martian still wasn’t able to penetrate his mind and that alone sent a wave of suspicion and mistrust on his part.

“Why come here to warn us, better yet, help us in all of this?” Alex added. “Why does the 31st century have an interest in our time? And what’s _your_ interest in all of this?”

Maths sighed, leaning warily against the center console. He had hoped he wouldn’t need to go into detail about this, but leave it to Alex and Maggie and Kara and J’onn to want to know everything. “A few years from now,” he began. “World War III starts, for the same reasons other wars start; but it’s not the war that brings about the world destruction. It opens a door, an easily accessible one from a tyrant.

“His name is Darkseid. He then proceeds to destroy the planet.”

The announcement is surprising and shocking, especially when the group had fought off alien invasions before without the type of finality that the young man had just proposed. “Darkseid…?” Kara asked, her face scrunched in confusion. She felt she had heard that name before, but couldn’t exactly place it.

“Heard the name before?” Maths asked, looking at the super. “I’m sure you have. Ask Kal about him, I’m sure he’ll be _more than happy_ to state his opinion on the guy; for some reason, they aren’t exactly friends.” Looking at the image of the alien planet, he whispered, “ _Nahn, Rao, i chahvehd shokhpahs w pahdh tiv aorghahs ni waila_.”

“The first law to make the universe whole,” Kara translated, looking at Maths in shock.

“On Darkseid’s planet, he is a god,” he continued. “And he brought that entitlement to this planet. He managed to bring every single Earth, all 52 multiverses, together into one planet. I can attest that it devastated us. Anyone…everyone who tried to stand against him…”

The way he trailed off signified that perhaps the young man was more than he seemed, a heavy weight that settled on his young shoulders that he hadn’t shown before. Within an instant, it was gone and he was back to his previous direct personality.

“That alone is the reason we need to speak to that Calendian,” he said, determination in his eyes. “ _I_ need to speak to that Calendian. Because like it or not, they are not supposed to be here and we need to figure out _why_ they are. If they’re here to tip the scales towards starting the war earlier than we’re prepared for, you all will be in a world of hurt, believe me.”

It was a chilling prospect, that an alien species normally not prone to such actions would now take them on a planet and in a time completely different from theirs. “Obviously this is an important matter to you,” J’onn replied, firmly, but with an added inflection to show his sympathies. He was all too aware what it was like when one’s whole world ceased to exist.

“And we will help however way can. Is there anything else you tell us, Mr. Maths?”

Maths nodded. “As I mentioned,” he began. “A number of Calendians had been reported on other planets trying to do the same thing. _Something_ must have worked because we noticed that a galaxy, the Hess galaxy, no longer exists.”

“What you do mean?” asked Maggie.

“Exactly what I said, Maggie,” the young man replied. “Whatever the plan the Calendians have or whoever has plans for them, their presence on other worlds and in other times is making changing to the timeline _now_. The Hess galaxy was full of planets, moons, and _life_ ; and all of that is gone now.”

“No way,” the Latina whispered, shocked at the revelation. Maths was a little dismayed and frustrated that the detective couldn’t understand the severity of their situation.

“Way,” Kara nodded, looking grim. “It’s why time travel never works out in the movies or TV either. You guys remember Barry? He went back in time to stop the murder of his mother and it completely changed the outcomes for a lot of his friends. We’re not talking like, they were born a redhead instead of a blonde, I mean one set of friends ended up having a daughter instead of a son change.

“Even Cisco…Cisco’s brother, who had been alive before Barry went back to the past, ended up dying.”

“It only takes one little change,” Maths whispered. “Which, I know, seems rather ironic when I’m the one telling you this, but…I’m trying to stop what could potentially end up being an even worse ending than it already is.”

The speech ended when the vibration of a phone sounded low and caused Maggie to jump slightly as the feeling came from her back pocket. “Sorry,” she mumbled, stepping away from the console to answer the call.

“So that’s everything,” Maths sighed, looking at those still gathered around. “We need to speak to that Calendian and find out what he knows and if he can tell us what their plans are.”

“I gotta go,” Maggie replied, giving Alex’s arm a squeeze. “We’ve got Plastino locked down so we can talk to some of the victim’s co-workers. Maybe find out why someone would murder him.”

“Could I go with you?” Kara asked. “Technically I _was_ a witness and it might help with my story.”

Normally the detective wouldn’t allow it, or at least allow reporter Kara to accompany her, but the blonde was right; she was a witness and perhaps she’d be able to see something in the light of day that they might miss. Nodding, Maggie said, “Sure. It actually cuts out having to make a trip to give another interview. And this way, you can talk to Dan in person.”

The two nodded to the others before taking their leave. J’onn looked at the others that remained. “I think we’ve let our alien friend stew enough,” he announced. “Alex, Mr. Maths, come with me; it’s time for a friendly little visit. Agent Vasquez, keep an eye on things.”

“I always do, sir,” came the reply.

The trio made their way back downstairs, giving Maths an eerie sense of de ja vu and a bit of a worry that the two agents were actually leading him back down to his own cell. The change in path, however, gave him a sense of relief, as they walked down the hall until they reached the room and the cell that held the Calendian.

The alien was pacing back and forth within the cell, something he had been doing ever since he had been captured and placed inside. The sound of footsteps alerted him to his visitors and he wasted no time in slamming his fists against the protective glass at the three humans approached him. “Release me!” he shouted.

“Not until you tell us exactly what it is you’re doing here,” J’onn commanded.

“I am here to take this worthless planet for my people!”

“Wrong answer, Magee,” Maths stated, looking at the green alien. “I know who you are. You’re a Calendian and Calendians don’t stray from their home planet, much less do so in a completely different time period. And besides, your species isn’t known to just go out and conquer.”

“What does a human know about my people?” the Calendian asked, peering closely at the younger man.

“More than you can imagine,” Maths sneered. “Now we’re looking for a name and purpose. Once we get that, we might even decide to spruce up your bed in there.”

Both Alex and J’onn glanced at the young man, slightly concerned at the venom in his voice. Understandable, knowing the future events that he’d come from and what this alien could mean for that. The Calendian pressed closer against the glass, his small, beady eyes narrowing as he looked at the human.

“I know you.”

“What?”

“I know you,” the alien repeated, smirking.

“You don’t know me,” Maths stressed, straightening his height from where he had been standing with his arms crossed.

“Oh, I know you,” the Calendian said, his smirk widening into a knowing smile. “I can see it in your stance.” Nodding to the other two agents in the room, he continued with, “It’s just like theirs. You may try to hide in different skin, but a warrior knows another warrior.”

“Then there’s honor amongst you,” Alex said.

“Honor is only given when it is proven,” the alien hissed. “You’ve captured me and placed me in this square tube; there is no honor to be had here. Your species will fall and this planet will belong to its rightful leader.”

“Who?” Maths asked. “You can’t expect us to believe this was a plan you cooked up; you were tasked, coerced into doing this. This is not the way of your people, unless the Calendians are now just common thugs and hired hands. And here, I was expecting better.”

If Maths was hoping to rile the alien, it worked; the Calendian was seething in his cell, his eyes glaring at the younger man. “You will speak with respect…”

“You are a disgrace to your race,” Maths stated, pointing a finger at the Calendian. “And you dishonor them with your treachery here.” Stepping closer to the cell, Maths growled, “Now tell me what you’re doing here and who sent you?”

The Calendian glared, but ultimately took a step back, putting some distance between him and the cell wall. “Is it not obvious?” he questioned. “I am here for your destruction, as commanded by a worthy and powerful being.”

“Darkseid.”

“Is that what he’s called?” the alien asked. “I never knew his name, only that his abilities are vast and he is giving the Calendians the victories we should have _taken_ long ago. My people have grown weak, complacent, while the galaxy evolves around us and what do we have to show for it? Nothing. Well, I will no longer just stand and do _nothing_.”

Maths nodded. “I will stop you,” he said. “You can mark my words on that.”

“You will try, human,” the Calendian retorted. “You will try.”

 

* * *

 

Plastino Chemicals seemed to be a completely different building during the day than it did at night. Kara, at least, had the distinction of having been there before, back when they had been hunting the hellgrammite who had been stealing DDT from the plant. The police were already there, starting their investigation early, and cording off the area where Peters had been shot. Maggie parked her cruiser in the lot in front of the main office doors, Kara following her into the building.

The offices of Plastino Chemicals was a medium, two story building, with a rounded lobby with a receptionist at a desk ready to greet people. During the day, the plant awarded tours to the public during office hours, letting the public see what exactly was being done within this structure. The two walked through the lobby, Maggie showing her badge to the receptionist and being directed to the upper floor where the others apparently were and where the two found Detective Dan Turpin.

Dan was only a few years younger than Maggie, but like his partner, had already made a mark within each police departments he’d worked in. Hailing originally from Metropolis, Dan had made the move to National City after his wife had announced she was pregnant and that she wanted to live in a slightly safer city. The fights that happened between Superman and any number of his foes caused the young woman to fear for her husband, more so than the fact that he was a cop.

He of course never failed to remind her that they just happened to move to the city where Superman’s cousin lived.

The detective was of medium height and a muscular build from his years as a football player at Met U, with brown hair and dark brown eyes that could turn black once his temper got the best of him. It was one of the reasons he had been known as ‘Terrible Turpin’ back in Metropolis and while his anger issues had cooled since moving, his strong moral code often meant he could lose control in the face of an injustice.

The detective was currently in the office of one Evan Peters, the obese man that had met with Kara and Truth Hertz the night before and who had apparently been killed right before their eyes. Turning at the entrance of his partner and reporter, Dan nodded to them. “Chief. KD.”

“How’s it going, Danny boy?” Maggie asked. “Terrorize any of the officer workers yet?”

Turpin smirked at the joke. He was well aware of his temper, but one of the reasons he and Maggie got along so well was because she understood where that anger came from. As a cop, it wasn’t unheard of for all of your hard work to go wasted within the justice system – whether it be a plea deal for a lighter sentence or a complete mistrial or acquittal for someone who was clearly guilty – sometimes, it could be extremely hard to not just throw in the towel or worse, cross that line between being a good cop and being a bad, corrupt one.

“Just the one,” he joked. “Victim’s Evan Peters, processing admin assistant. Mostly paperwork, but a pretty nice position to know what’s coming in and out of here.” Pointing to the computer that sat on the desk before them, he said, “The boys are gonna take the computer, usual check the hard drive and all that stuff. Waiting on the warrant now.”

“Coworkers say anything?” Maggie asked.

“Said he was a nice guy,” Dan replied. “Didn’t cause any trouble, kept up on his work, didn’t make any waves, you know?” Turning to the reporter, he asked, “You said he met you last night to tell you something?”

Kara nodded. “I’m investigating that video that came out,” she said. “I got a tip that Peters might know the reason behind why Gov. Marks would want to meet with two aliens. Assuming, the video is real, of course.”

“Right,” Dan replied. “And? He tell you anything?”

“Only that he thought people were after him,” the reporter answered. “He said that he had noticed different materials and equipment were being sent to something called ‘PC’, but he didn’t know what that was. But why would someone kill him?”

“Well, I got a theory.”

“Which is?” asked Maggie.

“So, we got that missing governor aide – thanks for that, by the way – who goes missing right after being seeing in a video with his boss and what looks like two aliens. I got visual confirmation from friends and family that our missing aide is the second human in the cut. Video gets released. Peters here, finding something he shouldn’t have, gets in touch with our ace reporter here cause he knows CatCo’s gonna tell an actual true version, but he gets popped before he can really say anything.”

Maggie nodded, a thoughtful look gracing her face. “That’s actually not a bad idea,” she murmured.

“I know you only like hanging out with me for my pretty looks, Mags,” Turpin quipped. “But I got brain up in here, too.”

The science head laughed. “It’s so cute when you try and flirt with me.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” retorted the brunette. “I’ve met your wife; she could literally, and possibly figuratively, tear me apart.” The banter was only silence when Dan’s phone went off, which he quickly answered. “Turpin. Hey Doc, whatcha got for me?”

While Dan spoke, Kara took the time to look around the small office, lifting her glasses up slightly in order to use her X-Ray vision to see if anything was amiss. She didn’t see anything through the walls, other than the typical office workers who were trying to do their jobs whilst in the middle of a murder investigation, so she turned to Peters’ desk.

His drawers didn’t seem to hold any interest until she got a glimpse of what might possibly a false bottom in the second drawer.

“See anything?” Maggie whispered, her eyes on her partner as he continued to discuss something with the caller.

“Might be a false bottom,” Kara murmured. “Second drawer, left hand side.”

“Well,” Dan replied, hanging up and placing his cell back in his jacket pocket. “That was coroner. Our friend Peters wasn’t just shot like a decent human being; Doc’s saying it looked like he was shot square in the back with a laser or something. Split the poor guy’s spine at the right angle to drop him like a sack.”

Both Kara and Maggie tried to keep their faces neutral, though it was clear to Dan that the two knew something. “You didn’t happen to see a guy with a laser running around, did you?” he asked.

“I think I would’ve remembered that,” Kara said, a nervous chuckle leaving her lips.

“Danny, we’re heading out,” Maggie announced, turning towards the door. “Check everything in this room, desk especially. See if there’s anything in his paperwork, hidden compartments, the whole nine yards.”

“Hidden compartments?”

Maggie shrugged. “The guy thought he was being followed and watched,” she replied. “He obviously knew something or else he wouldn’t have gotten in touch with Kara. And I think you’re right – these aren’t separate cases anymore.”

Ushering the younger woman out, Maggie kept her thoughts to herself until the two were outside and heading for her cruiser. “You didn’t say anything about Henshaw,” Kara replied, once they reached the vehicle.

“No, I didn’t,” the senior detective stated. “And I won’t if you don’t want me to. You know as well as I do, NCPD only knows stuff on the surface and the Science Division, though we do investigate any crime with alien involvement, doesn’t necessarily know just how deep that runs.”

“You knew about the DEO.”

“Because I do my homework,” Maggie said. “And there’s been rumors about them in the community long before I met you or Alex. My point is, if Henshaw is involved, that means Cadmus is involved and we both know what that means.”

Kara knew exactly what that meant, they both did. In the years since blowing up one of Luthor Corp’s warehouses and freeing a ship full of aliens being unwillingly deported, neither she nor Alex had heard any word on Jeremiah Danvers. The last Alex had seen of him, they had been fighting off an attack of Cadmus goons and Hank Henshaw, the original one, who now went by the name of Cyborg Superman.

With the events of rescuing the rounded up aliens and capturing the henchmen, it was only after everything had been said and done that the DEO agent realized that she didn’t know when her father was. Agents did a thorough search of the area and they couldn’t find any trace of Lillian Luthor, Henshaw, or Jeremiah. After years of not knowing what had happened, not knowing where he could be, he had been there, with them for such a short time…

And now, once again, he seemed to have vanished into thin air. They had no way of knowing if he had escaped, had been recaptured, or worse…they just didn’t know. And the trail was as cold as it had been the first time the scientist had disappeared.

“Cadmus _might_ not even be involved,” the blonde whispered, but the words sounded strange even to her ears. “After all, Lillian is still in prison and unless this is Henshaw acting outside of her orders, I can’t imagine him just going off and attacking someone, especially not someone who’s human.”

“That might be,” Maggie agreed. “But we can’t discount it. As much as I want to. The question is, do we tell our suspicions to my partner?”

That was the question, of course. While Kara liked Dan, she didn’t know him as well as Maggie or even Alex, the detective seemed nice enough when she needed to speak to someone on the record who wasn’t Maggie (Snapper had called her on that a few times already), she wasn’t sure how trustworthy he was. She’d certainly heard good things about him when she spoke to Clark, so she knew he was an excellent cop, but even good cops could turn different once aliens were involved.

And this would be bringing in someone new, with perhaps a base knowledge of what was going on. Maggie’s relationship to a number of aliens in the community had afforded her the knowledge of the DEO – or the rumors, at least – and certainly her friendship and then romance with Alex brought her even deeper for someone who hadn’t already known about her or Clark’s secret identities.

It wasn’t enough to ask if Maggie trusted him; it was the matter of how much he could be trusted and with what. There was only one thing that Kara could think of that might actually answer her question. “Does he know?” she asked. “About Mattie?”

Maggie nodded. “He was with me when we rescued him,” she said. “And his wife watches him two days a week, with her own boys.”

If Kara was surprised, she did a good job of not showing it. Very few people were aware that Mattie Sawyer was an alien, especially when the boy passed for human and most were none the wiser. But it was still a bit shocking; Kara herself hadn’t even known until Maggie had brought the boy in, suffering from a strange alien virus that only targeted aliens, regardless of the type or even age.

Later, Alex had told her that she hadn’t even known until months after reconciling with the detective.

The reporter nodded. “Dan should know about Cadmus, if he doesn’t already,” Kara said. “Especially if Henshaw really is involved. And you know with Cadmus, the more help, the merrier.”

“You got it.”

The two were about to get into the car, when Maggie noticed someone by a side entrance, apparently trying to get their attention. “You see that guy?” she asked, looking at the stranger.

“Yeah,” Kara replied, cocking her head in confusion. “Is that Brian?”

Brian was a familiar face to both women, usually finding himself in situations that any ordinary person – human or alien – would want to avoid. That wasn’t to say that Brian actively walked into these situations, they just always seemed to happen around a time the alien community was in peril.

To date, neither of them knew what Brian’s true alien species was; they saw him on such a sporadic and random occurrence that it never seemed to come up and none of them had honestly asked. Just as Brian tried to stay out of trouble, they tried to keep themselves out of the alien’s business, unless of course he was endangering himself or others.

Spotting the alien at the very crime scene they were at, in the building they had just left, was too suspicious to not investigate. Which was why both of them closed the car’s doors and hurried over. The greenish-blue alien was all smiles when he saw them, a strange sight seeing as they were usually busting him for something, while dressed in a dark blue business suit, as was his custom.

“I was hoping that it was you guys,” he replied, cheerfully.

“What’re you doing on my active crime scene, Brian?” asked Maggie, unamused at the alien’s appearance.

Straightening out his jacket with a huff, Brian said, “I happen to work here, thank you very much.”

“You work here?” Kara asked, incredulously. “Since when?”

“Since about a few months back,” the alien said, proudly. “I know I was kinda a troublemaker, but I’m trying to keep on the straight and narrow. I don’t do much, just an office assistant, but it pays pretty well; I don’t have any issues keeping up with my debts and…I’m keeping a low profile.”

“Brian, that’s fantastic!”

Brian smiled, a happiness for their approval actually warming them. As much as they tended to be on the opposite side of the law, the alien actually liked these guys; they were usually nice to him and he had only heard good things about them from his friends. And because of that, he said what he did next.

“Oh, hey! I heard you and Alex got back together. You have no idea how much that warms my heart.”

“We’re still not inviting you to the wedding, Brian.”

A few years back, when Alex and Maggie had started spending time together again, the two had actively been looking for Brian, as he tended to know and see things that some of the other aliens may not. That’s when they learned they were apparently a hot topic in the alien community, in the case of their broken engagement. Brian was just one of many different aliens who had been both deeply upset that they had broken up in the first place and miffed as to why they had not been invited to their first wedding.

And just like the last time, Brian huffed at the rejection. “Why not?” he whined. Pointing at Kara, he said, “Kara’s going.”

“Alex is my sister,” said sister responded. “Of course I’m going to be at her wedding.”

“Was that it?” Maggie asked. “Cause we have to go…”

“No, no,” Brian insisted, waving his hands to stop their departure. “I actually might know something. Maybe. It’s about that video that’s going around. You know the one wit the governor in it?” The two looked at each other before looking back at the alien.

“Whatcha got, Bry?”

“So I don’t know much about the governor,” Brian began. “But I’ve been hearing some things from…some…people, that I know. Anyway, there’s talk going around about some new aliens that no one seems to know about.”

“New aliens?” asked Kara. “What do you mean?”

“Most of the alien community either know each other or know about the species that live here,” he continued. “But these guys…we never heard of them. It’s like they just sprang up from nowhere. But along with that, these guys have been talking about that aide, the governor’s aide I mean. It sounds like not only did the aide know more than maybe he let on _and_ I think those aliens may have done something to him.”

“You think they put a hit on him?” Maggie asked. Brian shrugged.

“Not sure,” he replied. “But…I think whatever happened to Peters, I think was maybe an inside job.”

“Why do you say that?” asked Kara.

The alien looked around quickly before leaning in to the two. “There’s another employee, Marcia Ford, who’s missing too,” he whispered. “A few of us noticed she wasn’t at work this morning, which yes, before you say anything, could just be a coincidence. However, she also worked in the same office as Peters; in fact, I think their offices were next to each other.” Again, Brian shrugged.

“Not sure if that helps or not.”

“Actually Brian,” Maggie said, giving his arm a pat. “There might be something to that. Thanks. You best get back to work. Far be it for us to keep you from your job.”

“Well,” the alien said, shyly. “Like I said, I like you guys. We should really hang out sometime. Oh! You know what’s a good time to hang out? At a wedding.”

“Still not invited.”

Both Maggie and Kara began to walk away, the former throwing a friendly wave over her shoulder as they did. “I know a florist!” They were halfway to the car when the detective stopped, sighed, and then groaned before turning and walking back towards Brian. Kara watched as the two spoke for less than a second and Maggie headed back to her, the confusion on her face clear.

“Alex and I are comparing florists,” Maggie grumbled, leading the two back to the car.


	7. Chapter VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brainy tries to get more info from Dan Maths, Friday night game night resumes, and a meeting takes place in a bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deepest apologies for the lateness with this chapter. I had a work event that took up most of my time and some other stuff going on, but I'm back in the habit! It's my hope I can give you guys not one, but two chapters in short concession this week. *fingers crossed*
> 
> I've been also going back and editing previous chapters, so apologies if you're getting emails about updates and there are no updates. Just me making sure that everything reads correctly and makes sense.
> 
> Friday game night is a real thing for me and my friends and the games listed are ones we actually own and play. If any sound interesting to you, just ask about them in comments.

Brainy was a curious individual.

It was his nature, not only as a Coluan, but as a member of the Brainiac line of beings. His intelligence alone made him a valuable ally to not only the Legion of Superheroes, but to his new team mates at the DEO. It was that reason the alien AI felt it in the best interest of all those involved that he find out more on this mysterious Dan Maths person.

Just as the others had been wary and suspicious of the young man, Brainy had found it odd that he had just suddenly appeared, with no actual mention of how he arrived, only that he was from the 31st century. Brainy was from the 31st century and he only knew of two factions that had the ability to utilize time travel – the Legionnaires and the Time Trapper; the problem was, the Coluan didn’t know which side this Maths person was on.

If he was a Legionnaire, why hadn’t he said anything to him? True, time was a tricky thing and as the young man repeatedly mentioned, even the slightest change could effect the future, but if he was a fellow Legion member, surely letting Brainy know his identity couldn’t effect time. Could it? And if Maths was just another vessel for the Time Trapper, well…that could pose a worse threat than even this Darkseid creature.

The Time Trapper was an unpredictable foe, considering that he was a ruler of time. They had recently run afoul of the strange being, though it wasn’t truly him, but someone being controlled by him. It was enough of a troubled occurrence that, while Brainy had been there at least, the Legion had decided to keep an eye on the strange being. It was shortly before he, Mon-El, and Imra had arrived in this present time, which was one of the reason he and Imra had been reluctant to tell their leader about their ability to travel through time.

Director J’onzz, Agent Danvers, and Maths had been gone for nearly twenty minutes and Brainy couldn’t help but wonder what it was they were discussing with their captured alien. He hadn’t heard of these Calendians before today and was surprised when this stranger had knowledge that even he didn’t. While he certainly had cited Winn, Agent Danvers, and some of the other human agents as intelligent by human terms, this new human seemed to surpass even them.

The DEO, as a whole, knew more about alien species than even Brainy was aware of and the very matter of fact and scientific way Maths was able to discuss these beings seemed to say something about him or at least the level of intelligence the human race was capable of in the 31st century. But how did he come about _this_ knowledge?

From what Brainy knew of Earth during the 21st century, their knowledge of aliens was either to fear them or treat them with an uneasy truce, which was why the work from the DEO was so extraordinary. In his time, the third world war had essentially collapsed these strange ideas, though there were still pockets that believed certain beings were better, more superior than others.

Isn’t that how he found himself in the 21st century?

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of said agents and their mysterious stranger. Maths led the group and it was clear he was highly agitated by the way he was mumbling to himself. “I take it our ‘guest’ was less than forth coming,” Brainy queried, standing to greet the three.

“On the contrary,” Maths replied. “I think he was very informative. We now know who sent them here and I think we can pretty much speculate as to the reasons _why_ they’re here.”

“Can we?” asked Alex, causing the man to look at her in surprise. “You said it yourself, their species doesn’t normally go out and conquer other worlds, so why the sudden change of heart?”

“You heard him,” Maths said. “He’s trying to bring glory to his people by running a suicide mission. Because believe me, this _is_ a suicide mission; there’s no way Darkseid is going to let him live.”

“But why?” asked J’onn.

“Why what?”

“Why now?” the Martian questioned. “Why here? You said a third world war is what allowed this creature to enter into our timeline, so why wait? It was an assured victory.”

Maths opened his mouth to counter the statement, but stopped. That had been his exact question too – what was the purpose of sending these beings back in time if the current timeline already had things progressing in a way that all but assure victory for Darkseid? Unless Darkseid wasn’t the person behind this. With new thoughts in his mind, Dan turned from the group and began to walk down the opposite hall.

“Where’re you going?” Alex asked.

“The vending machine,” the man called back.

Sensing his chance, Brainy shouted, “I’ll come with you!” before hurrying after the man. Brainy watched as the man wandered the halls expertly, a telling sign that this was not the first time he had ever been in the DEO building; after almost three years here, Brainy didn’t know where the vending machine was.

The secured government facility did have some creature comforts, as any organization would that worked around the clock monitoring the world. Along with the locker rooms and showers, there was a small kitchen for work use, as well as a sleeping area for agents to use during the more grueling missions. The vending machine was actually located along one of the walls, across from a large conference room.

Brainy was surprised to see there were actually _two_ vending machines located here, one for snacks and the other for drinks, though the Coluan didn’t understand the purpose of a drink machine when there were drinks in the kitchen area and to this day, he couldn’t recall anyone drinking anything other than coffee around here.

“Did you want something, B?”

The casual way in which the stranger addressed him pulled Brainy to a stop, having to mentally shake his head. “You seem to be very familiar with everyone here,” he responded. “Even this building. I’ve been here for three years and this is the first time I’ve seen these.”

Turning from retrieving his purchase, Dan stood and leaned against the snack machine. “That is just sad,” he said. “It’s like Data having a seven year span between the time he first laughed and when he got his emotion chip.”

“I…I don’t know what that means.”

“I know,” the younger man sighed. “It’s cause everyone has been remiss in their duties, though my bad for jumping shows. I should be making an original series reference, not a TNG one.”

Again, Brainy looked at the man in confusion. “Star Trek, man,” Maths huffed. “I told you I’d be making references. You really need to get on that, cause this is just a travesty. Tell me they’ve at least showed you Star Wars.”

“Ah!” the alien replied. “I know that reference! With the light swords and small robotic companions.”

“I’ve never heard Star Wars described that way before,” Maths said, smirking. “But yeah, that’s the one.” He proceeded to open the pack of candy he bought – Connor PBCs – taking one of the chocolate discs out and unwrapping it. “Was there something else?” he asked. “I’m sure you didn’t follow me down here cause you really wanted candy.”

Holding out the second disc, he offered it to Brainy, who took the offering slowly. He was suddenly struck by an odd sense of what the humans called déjà vu. “I am curious,” he whispered. “You claim to be from the 31st century, the same century I hail from.”

“I know.”

Brainy nodded. “Then you also know what that means,” he continued. “For beings like me.”

“If you’re asking me if it’s safe for you to come home,” Dan said, shrugging. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, at least that I know of.”

There was disappointment, of course, and Brainy tried his best not to show it. Being here was a safety precaution, to ensure that his predecessor or his ancestor wouldn’t destroy him as soon as he returned, but it was hard to not to feel some sort of sadness at knowing he was unable to help any of his kind. “Sorry, Brainy,” Dan murmured. “I’m not exactly here bringing good tidings to anyone.”

Brainy nodded his acceptance. “I’m sure you are here to do what you believe needs to be done,” he stated. “I’m sure your family would feel…proud of you.”

At that, Dan got a far off look in his eye. “I hope so,” he whispered.

“Tell me about them.”

Dan looked over at the agent. “There’s really nothing to tell,” he said, straightening his stature. “I have parents who love me and…there you go. Shouldn’t you be getting back to it? I think you’ll want to be monitoring the city, in case anything pops up.”

Again, the alien nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “I should be getting back. And you, Mr. Maths? What will you be doing?”

“Oh I’m sure Alex and J’onn want to keep me on the shortest leash possible,” he said, with a chuckle. “Maybe they’ll let me do some training. And I wanna find out how Vasquez liked my _Hello Dolly_. It’s her favorite musical after all.”

He crumbled up his candy wrapper, dumping it in the small trash bin that stood between the machines. “Don’t be late,” he joked, passing the agent and heading back into the command center. Brainy wasn’t far behind, though he kept a reasonable distance between them. He hadn’t asked about time travel, but he had learned that sometimes the best way to get information wasn’t to consistently talk at them, but to let time pass.

He’d bide his time, for now.

 

* * *

 

Friday nights were game nights. Not always, but it usually seemed the best day to get everyone together. It was something Kara had instituted once Winn and James managed to get along and when she finally got Alex to emerge long enough from the DEO to see the light of day. Mainly, it was an excuse to see each other outside of their work places; yes, Winn was her best friend and at one point, she did have a crush on James, and she usually saw Alex on Thursdays for sister night…

The point was to see each other outside of _work_ , to not even try and discuss work if they could help it, and just relax. Just be Kara and Winn and James and Alex (and J'onn when they could talk him into a night out) for as long as they could before they’d have to switch gears. For a time, it had just been the first three, then Alex joined them when her sister insisted she get outside, just once (well, twice because Sister Night was sacred) and be with the general public, which included people she liked.

Adding Maggie into the mix hadn’t been difficult or even hard. It helped that she and Alex hadn’t declared their relationship the first few times the group came to hang out in the alien bar – Dollywood, they all called it cause that was the password used most to get in – so by the time they did, Winn and James were only shocked at the fact they hadn’t known Alex was gay. The detective had fit in perfectly with the group, to the point where she and Alex were never allowed to be on the same team with each other.

Not only were the two highly competitive, but their intelligence matched perfectly with each other; Kara had noticed it immediately, but had only thought it was only on the case and crime scene. She had no idea it would extend to something as simple as Trivial Pursuit. Clue wasn’t even an option if the two of them were in the same room, much less on the same team.

After the two broke up, Alex seemed to revert back to spending most of her time in the DEO. Granted, they had to combat against Reign, then Agent Liberty, James facing charges for being the Guardian…it was nearly a year before they could actually enjoy any time together. By then, Alex had been in her second relationship with Natalie and while Alex’s girlfriends would come when invited, they didn’t seem to have the same camaraderie with the rest of the group.

Probably because no one could talk about work – while Kara and James could discuss articles, they couldn’t actually discuss anything like sources, especially when their sources were usually found as Supergirl or Guardian. While Alex had adored her previous girlfriends - Rachel and Natalie, respectively - she hadn’t really made a strong enough connection with either of them to speak more about what she actually did, who Supergirl really was, what James really did when he wasn't interim CEO, and where they actually hung out after work.

Game nights didn't always mean they'd actually play games; if they hadn't already gotten together during the week, those Fridays could see the group at Dollywood, but for anyone who wasn't used to spending an inordinate amount of time with aliens or who even knew any aliens, the atmosphere in the bar wasn't for them. It was just one of the reasons Alex had never mentioned it to her previous girlfriends; also, the bar had carried memories of her relationship with Maggie - who had introduced the group to the bar in the first place - and the DEO agent always felt strange going back there alone.

Now, it seemed things are shifted once more. They had lost Winn to the 31st century, but had gained Lena as a part of their group, thanks to her renewed friendship with Kara and her relationship with James. Once Lena learned the truth about Kara and Supergirl, whose relationship was already strained between the two, the business woman had been hesitant to spend time with anyone with whom the two associated with, including James. Thankfully, despite the frost between them, the reporter nor the superhero ever gave up on the raven-haired beauty, especially in times when she needed her friends the most.

Along with Lena, Maggie had once again joined their evenings, bringing the ever cheerful Mattie with her. Having the small child around was actually more fun than the adults expected – child he may have been, Mattie could sometimes have a wisdom that escaped the senior members and could rival J’onn’s own reflections at times. It was so easy to forget that Mattie wasn’t human and therefore had seen the worst – and best – of both alien worlds and Earth.

Tonight, as much as they tried to not talk about work, the topic of discussion was of course work. It was hard to ignore the tightening threats that were coming together – the emerging video of the governor, the missing aide, the sudden appearance of new aliens, the sudden appearance of the mysterious Dan Maths, the attack and murder of Evan Peters – and though they seemingly didn’t have anything to do with each other, it was hard not to see a growing pattern.

Normally game night was hosted at Kara’s apartment, but with the number of people that could show up, they had started to rotate locations, sometimes forgoing a game entirely just to sit and talk or watch a movie. Tonight Maggie and Alex were hosting, making it easier for the two of them to get ready; it had been a long day for both and honestly, they had been tempted to cancel if it wasn’t for their son’s eagerness in playing tonight’s new game – The Capitals.

The amount of board games amassed between the group wasn’t surprising, however the type and genre of games were. Kara loved the classics, like Monopoly, Clue, Pictionary, and others mostly because those were some of the first games she had been introduced to on Earth. Winn had been the reason they had branched out into the more complex games, such as Transatlantic, Power Grid, Castles of Burgundy, and Castles of Mad King Ludwig; it seemed like a contradiction, but those games relied on looking at the bigger picture and how it related to your board.

Each game made you think about your purchase or how to build your structure to make as many points as possible, thus winning the game. These were perfect analytical challenges that appealed to the businesswoman, provided structural creativity for the reporters, and gave the cop, the federal agent, and budding police boy in training the competitive edge they craved.

Their newest game, The Capitals, had been suggested to Maggie by Lori Turpin, Dan’s wife; her brother was a big fan of it and it was similar to both Castles of Burgundy and Mad Castles (as Mattie called it) that it would be easy to pick up and enjoyable for the boy who was currently in an obsessive phase with building things. The boy was actually in the midst of cleaning his room when there was a knock on the door, before it opened to reveal Kara with a bag of donuts.

After their run in with Brian earlier, Kara had gone back to CatCo to further her story on the mysterious video with Gov. Marks. While she did have sources, she couldn’t actually name any of them, something which frustrated Snapper, though he did have some compassion when mentioning that she couldn’t find her original source, the man or woman known as Truth Hertz. She had tried responding back to the number from her cell phone and even tried to email him, with no word.

The biggest red flag, however, was the fact that his website seemed to be down or had been taken down.

Her other source was now dead and, fearing for Brian’s safety, she couldn’t in good conscience list his name for fear he might be targeted too. And they still had to even verify the alien’s suspicions. The governor had made a quick statement earlier that he’d be holding a press conference on Monday morning to address the allegations and Snapper wanted her in the front row for sound bites.

On the way home, she had quickly stopped what was most assuredly a hate crime against a defenseless Rodain before getting home, showering, and picking up a snack before heading to her sisters’ apartment.

“You’re spoiling your dinner,” Alex stated, taking one look at the bag and continuing on with wiping down the kitchen island.

“Sorry, Mom,” the blonde joked. Maggie couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her lips, even when her fiancé threw her a look of annoyance. “I got hungry, so I decided to pick up a snack. Which I have left you some, though with that attitude of yours, not sure if you even deserve any.”

Whether he was finished cleaning, heard the arrival of his aunt, or just heard the word ‘snack’, Mattie shot out of his room, running straight for the person who held the snack. “Kara!”

“There’s my favorite nephew,” the blonde replied, happily, allowing the boy to hug her around the waist.

“You have snacks?”

“After dinner,” Maggie said, ruffling the boy’s hair as she joined Alex in the kitchen. The statement of course caused the boy to groan in disappointment.

“You’ll live,” retorted Alex, handing the detective a glass to put away.

Kneeling down to eye level, Kara leaned towards the boy, whispering, “I saved you a powdered one, just for you.”

The boy smiled happily at the notion of a treat, especially one that seemed to be a secret between him and Kara. The boy knew that in order to get dessert of any type, he needed to be good and luckily for him, he had a great week of being the best little boy he could be. He cleaned his room and hadn’t even thrown everything under the bed or his closet like last time, so that totally deserved a treat!

A sudden knock on the door only served to brighten the boy further, rushing past his honorary aunt and towards the door. “I got it! I got it!” he shouted, excitedly reaching the door before the others could, before pulling it open to reveal both James and Lena. James held a pizza box topped with a bag of what was presumably pot stickers, the staple of any game night.

“Mijo,” Maggie sighed, looking at the boy as he led the others in. “What’ve we told you about opening the door without finding out who is on the other side?”

Matching his adoptive mother’s frustrated sigh with one of his own, the boy replied, “Always ask who’s on the other side,” he recited. “But I already knew it was gonna be James and Lena.”

“What?” Alex chuckled. “You’re psychic now? Or do you have X-Ray vision?”

“Maybe both,” the boy huffed.

“Knock it off,” the detective chastised, moving the boy towards the living room so their guests could actually enter.

The CatCo CEO unburdened himself with his bounty, placing it on the kitchen island, before turning and giving Maggie a hug. The two had actually grown fond of each other, despite the fact that she had once been gung ho to arrest him. During the Daxamite invasion, the two had made a pretty good team, protecting those that were lost or scared by the beings intent on destroying them. They had watched each other's back, quickly learning and anticipating the other's movements to keep them alive.

When she and Alex had broken up, both James and Winn had tried their best to keep in contact with the detective, but Maggie had been stubborn about being the ex who was shut out. She knew how these things went and she didn’t want to put anyone in the middle of choosing between her and Alex, even though in the end no one had or even wanted to.

Their relationship had only grown, with James happily playing the part of adopted uncle for Mattie.

Kara loved these moments – when she could just be Kara Danvers, hanging out with her friends and family, enjoying their company on a Friday night. She loved being Supergirl, that would never stop, but she had discovered she loved being Kara, too. It had been hard for a while, after sending Mon-El away from Earth the first time; he had been very special to her and it was only after he was gone that she understood _how_ special.

And when she did, she hadn’t wanted to be Kara Danvers anymore. Being Kara meant having to feel that hurt, that heart ache, and she discovered she wasn’t strong enough to handle it, but Supergirl…Supergirl could handle anything and everything. And the superhero didn’t need to worry about broken hearts or boys who were far away and would never return.

That was a hard lesson to learn, but it did need to be learned and Kara thought – hoped – she was better for it. Mon-El was never far from her mind, especially with the semi-permanence of Brainy at the DEO, but she couldn’t disparage him the growth he seemed to find in the 31st century. But sometimes game nights only set to remind her of him and Winn and the melancholy could settle in like the feeling she had eaten too many sweets.

Lost in thought, Kara had missed the passing out of food until Maggie had pushed a plate full of pot stickers and one slice of pizza before her. Lena was apparently telling the others about a planned initiative she had, something about wanting to give aliens a safe space other than the bar they tended to frequent. Little Rockets, the daycare that Mattie went to, was something similar in that children of all types and races were able to attend and Mattie wasn’t the only alien child who attended.

“Speaking of…” James began, nodding as Alex handed him a beer. The group had easily navigated to the sectional couch and small coffee table that sat in front of the couple’s television. “I tried getting someone in the office to give me something when I called earlier, but…”

“Well,” Maggie replied, taking a pull of her beer bottle. “This might be helpful, though obviously let’s not tell the whole world yet, but Dan made an ID on one of those people in the video. It’s definitely the governor’s aide.”

“So that means that Marks was meeting with those aliens,” Lena concluded.

“Not necessarily,” Alex piped up. “Sure, there’s a ninety-five point nine nine percent that Marks and his aide are there, but you never know. NCPD arrests Marks, then suddenly they discover he actually has a twin brother that he didn’t know about who’s mad he isn’t a part of the family…”

Shrugging, Alex glared at the look her fiancée gave her. “Don’t judge me.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Maggie said, though she did give her a smile. “And I’m quite happy you’ve immersed yourself in my favorite Spanish soap opera.”

“I was coerced,” the agent defended. “I was drugged.”

“You had the flu.”

“And I was high on drugs.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure Peter Marks is the only one,” James chuckled. “No twin needed or wanted. Thank God for that. Could you imagine?”

“I’d rather not,” Lena announced. “One Marks is enough for me.”

“So we have one missing aide,” Kara counted off. “One mysterious video that implicates our governor going against his own platform, a dead chemical plant worker, two or three mysterious aliens that pop up out of nowhere, and a mysterious stranger seemingly from the future.” The blonde ignored the looks of surprise on the faces of James and Lena.

Right before the former photographer could ask about the last thing, his girlfriend stopped, nodding her head to the small child who was working his way through a rather piece of pepperoni pizza. “Should we discussing this in front of…?”

“Are you kidding?” Maggie chuckled, running a fond hand over the aforementioned boy’s head. “Mattie wouldn’t mind if we sat here and talked about cases all night long.”

“Yep!” the boy replied.

“But we’re not going to do that.”

“Aw!”

“Well, that’s why we call it game night and not ‘case’ night,” Alex quipped.

Despite the subject matter, the adults didn’t drop the topic immediately. The general feeling from all sides was that these separate incidences were not separate at all, that fact being held by Brian’s statement that perhaps the governor’s aide wasn’t as on the up and up as everyone thought.

“Maybe he’s pretending to be nice to aliens.”

The group was finishing up dinner, cleaning up plates and drinks before heading to the dining table to play. Mattie had already gotten the game out and was setting up the board as best he could, when he made his statement.

“How’s that, rookie?” asked Maggie.

The boy looked at his adopted mother. “You remember Angus Dawson?” he asked.

“Big bully on the block?” Maggie questioned, using the nickname the others had come up when describing him. Angus Dawson had been a former attendee at Little Rockets before several incidences caused his parents to seek out another daycare center for him.

“That’s him,” Mattie confirmed. “You remember he used to pretend to be friends with all of us, but he just wanted to play with the toys we were playing with and then when he was done, he wouldn’t give ‘em back, even though he wasn’t playing with them anymore. And that’s mean, huh, Maggie?”

“Yessir.”

“So you think the governor’s only pretending to be friends with the aliens?” Alex asked.

The boy nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “He doesn’t like aliens, so why would he want to meet with them if they doesn’t like them?”

“Maybe he’s turning over a new leaf?” James questioned, pulling out and helping the boy take out different pieces of the game.

“Why would turn leaves over?”

“It’s an expression, buddy,” the reporter chuckle. “It means he’s changed his mind about alien kind.”

“No,” Mattie said, shaking his head. “He totally doesn’t like aliens, the news said so. But then why would he meet with those aliens then? And why in secret? If he changed his mind, then why not show the whole city that he likes aliens?”

“Alright, Beanie,” Alex admonished, though she sent the boy a soft smile as she did. “Time to switch off.”

Lena couldn’t help but lean over to Maggie, whispering, “You’ve a budding detective there.”

“Don’t I know it?” the Latina chuckled. “My partner already has his badge number and desk picked out when he joins. They’ve got a pool going for how long it’ll take him to make detective.”

“What’s the going rate?”

“They’re hitting twenty-two,” Maggie said. “I made it at twenty-four, the average can be twenty-five, but I’ve seen most make it around twenty-nine, thirty.”

“You beat the average and they’re betting he’ll beat _your_ record,” the business woman replied, slyly. “Though not surprising with the mentors he’s got.”

The topic was officially tabled as the game began to commence, with the victor ultimately being Lena because of course she knew about real estate and the business that goes with it. Despite it being a Friday night, Mattie still had to be in bed around 8:30, though the adults let him get to about nine o’clock before he was ushered off to brush his teeth and get ready for lights out. James and Lena decided they would take off early and as much as Kara would’ve loved to have hung out for a bit, there was something pressing she needed to look into for her story.

This wasn’t the first time Alex or Maggie had noted the earliness of their nights. On a good day, one or both of them might actually be in bed by eleven o’clock and that was assuming they had managed to come home before seven or eight; for Maggie, her normal routine of staying up for as long as she was able to investigate changed after taking in Mattie, even though there were occasions in which she did need to burn the midnight oil as it were.

It was just one of the reasons she and Alex got along so well – there wasn’t any jealousy about their work because they both did nearly the same thing and both felt a sense of pride and commitment in what they did. They fought for the rights of aliens, while simultaneously making sure that aliens or humans that were set against that were punished; it was only meeting Maggie that Alex’s approach to aliens had changed, her tunnel vision blinding her to those that just wanted to do right in the city.

“Just a heads up,” Maggie responded, looking over her shoulder at her fiancée. The two were going about cleaning up, washing and putting away dishes and in this rare instance, putting away leftover pizza. “We may need to invite Brian to the wedding.”

“Brian?” Alex asked, her face morphing in confusion for a moment. “Tangelion Brian?”

“Yeah,” the detective sighed. “He gave me a lead on the case and the name of a florist he knows, who I called and she might be running against Talbot’s. Better arrangements and cheaper.”

The agent shrugged, taking a dirty plate and placing it in the dishwasher. “Okay,” she said. “That actually works cause I told Marvin I’d save him a seat at reception.”

“Marvin Selznik?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Cause he can get us a discount on the DJ,” Alex stated. “And he can get a string quartet or quintet; his sister plays in one.”

Maggie went to retort, but then thought about it. Their original argument over a band versus a DJ had been borne out of frustration and mostly latent issues they hadn’t discussed; this time around, they had conceded to having both – a small orchestral group for before and during the wedding and a DJ for the reception.

“She any good?” she asked instead.

Alex nodded, slightly. “Said she just completed her first year at Julliard.”

“Julliard?” Maggie sputtered in surprise. “Really?”

“That’s what he said.”

“Huh,” the detective giggled. “Our wedding just got _fancy_.”

The two continued their routine, putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher and switching it on so they’d have clean dishes in the morning. They had plans to make good on that bet Maggie and Mattie had, with the three heading to the park that was just down the street from the apartment complex.

Alex couldn’t help but lean against the counter, watching as Maggie took out two small glasses and poured a good helping of Scotch into both. The federal agent was always fascinated at how domestic they had become, from the moment they had begun spending more time in each other’s places. Taking the glass as it was handed to her, Alex cupped one of Maggie’s cheeks in thanks.

“Come on,” the latter whispered, tugging the hand from her cheek and leading the redhead towards their couch and sitting. The two sat in compatible silence, taking sips from their drinks.

“Do you think these cases are connected?” Alex asked, fingers trailing over her fiancée’s knee.

“I’m starting to believe they are,” came the answer. “Speaking of…there’s something you should know.” Turning to face her, Maggie leaned over to place both of their drinks on the coffee table before sitting back against the couch cushions. “Hank Henshaw is back.”

“We knew that,” Alex replied, in confusion. “James and Chase showed us that, in the security vid from Plastino.”

“And Dan confirmed it,” Maggie said. “Or rather, the coroner did. That Peters guy was shot straight in the back, severed his spinal column, with some sort of laser. Which means either I got a warning shot when he hit me or he’s gotten an upgrade since we last saw him.”

Alex couldn’t help but think back to that night, when the detective had been brought in with a hit to the shoulder thanks to the man calling himself Cyborg Superman. All of the events that led up to that had been horrible – the alien bar had been attacked, seeing a number of people dying in the process, Mon-El had been exposed to the chemical agent and was barely hanging on, and Cadmus seemed on the verge of wiping out every alien in the city.

And while all of that was terrible, the agent couldn’t help but think of the ending to it all. Cadmus was thwarted, yes, but it allowed her to embrace what she called her ‘new normal’ – the ability to actually state that she was gay, the fact that she had told her mother (or rather, Eliza had guessed and then proceeded to state that she loved Alex regardless), and above all, she hadn’t come out because of one Maggie Sawyer.

Yes, the detective had opened the door to the possibility, but Alex was the one who walked through it and wasn’t afraid anymore about going back to what was.

“Knowing Cadmus, it’s probably an upgrade,” Alex scowled.

“That’s not all,” Maggie stated, intertwining her fingers with Alex. “Something didn’t set right with me, so I decided to do some checking.”

“And? Don’t leave me in suspense.”

“Lillian Luthor’s out of prison.”

“What?” Alex hissed, sitting up and looking at the Latina in shocked anger. “What the hell, Mags? We were supposed to be notified if that ever were to happen.”

“I know, babe,” the detective replied. “Believe me, when I found out, I read the riot act to the guy. And then got J’onn to tell him the same thing.”

“You told J’onn before me?”

“Because I wanted to tell you in person, for one,” Maggie gently said. “And two, I wanted to make sure I didn’t have to sit at your trial for murder.” Giving her a sly look, the woman smiled. “I don’t know if you know this, but they’ve gotten rid of conjugal visits.”

Alex snorted. “I love how even in a serious discussion such as this, you’re still thinking about trying to get into my pants.”

“Because I’ve seen you in pants,” Maggie winked. “And out of pants.”

“Perv,” came the quip, but it was tapered with a quick kiss to the detective’s lips.

The patter of familiar feet had the two turning their heads, unsurprised when Mattie walked over to them, his favorite toy Babu the monkey in one of his hands. “Are you lost?” asked Maggie.

“No,” the boy said, holding the ‘o’ while going over to his adoptive mother for a hug.

“You sure?” she questioned. “Cause this doesn’t seem to be your bedroom.”

“’m thirsty.”

“Of course you are,” Alex replied, a soft smile on her face. As with any child, Mattie would come up with excuses as to why he wasn’t tired or didn’t need to go to bed at the time indicated, but it was rarer than most. Lately however, it wasn’t so much as him wanting to stay up because the adults were up, it was because he wanted to be sure Alex and Maggie were where they had been when he last saw them.

About six months ago, Mattie had been taken from his daycare, in broad daylight, by someone working with a former inmate who had been after Maggie for their incarceration. They had gotten an accomplice to fill in for the office manager, who had unfortunately come down with the flu and the daycare had been desperate to fill the position for a few days. Despite being adopted, Mattie was Maggie Sawyer’s son and the boy had known from the moment he saw the stranger that something was wrong and hadn’t bought the story that she had been sent by the detective for him.

He had begun to struggle, but had been injected by something to make him quiet and then he was taken away. He had been missing for nearly a week, however the boy had shown great courage – perhaps _too_ much from the blackened right eye he received and the reason he received it – and it was the adults, especially Alex and Maggie, who had been frantic. Mattie had known from the get go that his mothers would find him and proceeded to make that announcement to his kidnappers every time he could.

It had been a realization for Alex, or rather, more of a confirmation of what she would do for the people she loved. She was a trained agent and had killed people on the occasion, but when she had been standing over Mattie’s kidnapper, she hadn’t wasted time shooting her in the knee before leveling the gun at her head. All Maggie had to do was give her a sign – a nod of her head, a smile, a wink, anything – and Alex would’ve been more than happy to pull the trigger.

It wasn’t a complete surprise, the depths of her feelings for the two Sawyers, but the quickness of how easily Alex had place the two within her family…it hadn’t been the first time she had thought of Mattie as her son, but that ordeal had been the first time she had said the thought out loud and to more than just Maggie.

And it was the first time the both of them heard the same sentiment from the boy himself.

Mattie may have seemed fine with the situation, as though getting kidnapped was a regular occurrence in his life, however it had brought about his night terrors, something Maggie had mentioned and experienced soon after taking the boy in. He always came out of it, usually by himself, but while he never remembered what upset him, he always remembered the feelings associated with them, so upon waking u,p he was frightened and confused.

He hadn’t had one in several months, but he had been even more protective of the two ever since.

Standing, Alex lifted the child easily into her arms. “You get the water, Mags,” she said, heading for the boy’s bedroom. “I’ll put this one back where he belongs.” The walk back didn’t long at all, only a few minutes, but it a few minutes of cuddles from the small boy.

“You kay?” the boy asked, as Alex gave him a quick squeeze before laying him back into bed.

“Yeah,” the agent whispered, running a hand through his head. “I just heard some really bad news.”

“I don’t like bad news,” Mattie said.

“Me either.”

“Special delivery,” Maggie announced, holding up a glass of water before walking it over to the boy. “I’m looking for a Mathias Sawyer. Mathias Sawyer? Anyone here know a Mathias Sawyer?”

Sitting up, Mattie said, “I’m a Mathias Sawyer.”

“One tall glass of water, for the boy in the Tim Tim t-shirt.”

The boy gratefully took the glass, bringing it to his lips, and gulping down about a quarter of it before setting it on his night stand.

“No tip?”

“No, I have a tip,” he replied, sliding down under his sheets and letting Alex tuck him back in. “Don’t take any wooden nickels.”

“Oh ha,” Maggie quipped. “Our son the comedian.”

“You’d totally go to my show,” Mattie teased.

“Yeah, I’d go to it,” his mother replied, bending over and delivering a kiss to his forehead. “I wouldn’t pay for it, but I’d go to it.”

“Then I’d be a starving comedian,” the boy huffed. “And I’d have to come back and then we’d live together forever and ever.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Alex said, also giving him a kiss on the cheek before standing. “All good?”

“Super duper.”

“Night, babe.”

“Dulces sueños, cariño,” Maggie whispered. “Te amo.”

“Te amo, Maggie,” the boy mumbled, sleepily. “Te amo, Ally.”

“Love you, Beanie.”

Alex turned out the light, stepping into the hallway and closing the door slightly. As Maggie began to pass her, she grabbed her hand. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Thanks,” she whispered. “For telling me about Lillian. You could’ve easily kept this from me, make sure I didn’t do anything crazy.”

Pulling the agent towards her, Maggie smiled softly. “Ride or die, Danvers,” she said. “I’m always down to anything crazy with you. Besides, no more secrets, remember?”

It was something the two of them had discussed soon after they decided to give their relationship another try. Though they had been open in their communication before getting engaged the first time, that had all changed afterwards and in getting back together, they had both realized they hadn’t been entirely truthful with one another.

It was more on Maggie’s part, that the detective knew, but Alex had been at fault as well. Neither of them trusted easily and the fact that they couldn’t seem to be honest with the person they wanted to spend their life with troubled both of them. So Maggie had stated that she didn’t want to hide anything from Alex anymore, even if she didn’t think it worthy of hearing or knowing.

“I love you,” the agent said. “Take me to bed.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

“Sometimes I don’t even need to tell you _once_ ,” Alex teased.

 

* * *

 

Dollywood was a little hole in the wall bar, where the various species of National City’s alien population could go and get a drink, meet others like them, or even just commiserate on the state of things. It wasn’t called Dollywood; most people who went there actually didn’t know the name of the place and for the small group of law enforcement officers and crime fighters that frequented it, they just called it the name of the commonly used password.

That was the other thing – unlike other bars within the city, this one required that inhabitants knew the password to get through the door. And like any good security system, that password changed. When it had first been established, it had just been changed every few months, but after becoming a beacon for anti-alien sentiment, the password had been changed every few days, which made it slightly harder for regular patrons to keep up.

Unfortunately, all it took was the word getting out to the wrong person and the bar had been at the center of a tug of war between aliens and the terrorist group, Cadmus. It had been a member of Cadmus who unleashed a deadly contagion within the bar, killing a good majority of the patrons. The only saving grace had been that the numbers inside hadn’t been large, not if it had been done on a weekend, thank god.

Then it had become the impromptu headquarters during the Daxamite invasion before turning into the location for an alien support group. At least, until the organizer had been found murdered by the group calling themselves Children of Liberty. The bar had closed temporarily after that, not wanting to get into the middle of an apparent conflict that seemed to be swirling around the people that came there.

There had been some rumblings about closing it down for good or even better, banning certain people from entering the bar at all. Most didn’t even know who the owner or owners were, so they couldn’t make any type of plea to keep the bar open or close it indefinitely. Whoever they were, the decision to keep the bar opened was a relief to many, though it did take a while for business to tick back up again.

The regulars began to come back, as did the bar staff, though there were more new faces than ever before.

Friday nights had used to play a pretty packed house and it was only recently that those numbers had begun to tick upwards again. While the threat of Cadmus and the Children of Liberty were still in the city, thankfully attacks against aliens had gone down in the proceeding years, but they hadn’t stopped entirely. President Baker had taken a strong stance against those sorts of things, just as his predecessor had done, and it had taken nearly his first year in office to get people to even take him seriously.

This Friday, the bar had a fairly large crowd, with both pool tables occupied and most of the tables and booths were taken up with people enjoying the end of a work week. At the very back of the bar, along with the wall of booths, were two aliens that were unfamiliar to many of those within, even the semi-regulars who came in once every few weeks.

They were green skinned, though it was slightly hard to tell within the darkened area they sat, mixed in with the atmospheric low lighting of the bar itself; both were muscular, with fin like features which were draped on the sides of their faces and trailed down towards their chests. Their eyes were a burgundy in color and both sets sent clear messages for patrons and staff to stay away.

Their language was hard and coarse, unrecognizable to those who passed and could hear bits and pieces of conversations. Though they could speak in Earth basic, they refused, not wanting to appear weak in front of these easily led creatures who would soon be displaced and conquered.

 _“These beings have no worth or honor,”_ replied one.

 _“They interact with each other as though they’re equal,”_ said the other. “ _And the species here, these **humans** , are no better. Have you heard from Hol’var?”_

_“Not since we first arrived. I believe he may have been captured by our enemies.”_

The second alien nodded. “ _I do not like that we have to trust these humans to assist us in our plans.”_

_“They may be inferior, but they are essential to our plans for the moment. The ones we are aligned to wish to see this world conquered by those that deserve to rule.”_

_“Does that not worry you?”_ The first asked. “ _That they would turn against one another so easily? And that they would use us to advance their own plans?”_

_“That’s how empires are run, To’vek. And in order for our people to survive, we must get rid of those who would rather be complacent instead of active and if it means we work with our enemies first, then we must. We will work with them until it’s time to take from them what was forbidden to us.”_

The two continued to sit and discuss their plans, though their talk routinely fell back on their missing colleague. He was their commander and as his soldiers, they were to follow orders and look out for each other in this strange time and planet. They had arrived together and Hol’var had gone out to explore the odd world and hadn’t returned; the other two had continued their first mission, assisting the strange metallic man to remove an obstacle in their path.

It had been Hol’var and the alien named Du’mluc who had met with one of the human leaders in their strange transportation cave. This meeting was supposed to set in motion their plans to conquer the planet, which would led to the liberation of their people and the rise of their own empire. Du’mluc was second in command and he knew his orders were to keep this junior member from breaking under the pressure.

Proud a race as they were, the younger generation hadn’t seen as much combat as their elders, so they didn’t know how to be hardened against such things. It was this reason, a number of them had sought to break from this stagnation and the extermination of their people; Calendia had gone on for too long being in the shadows of the other planets and races around them. They had stayed in the shadows, as civilizations rose and fell around them, away from them. They never would have learned about any technology if not for those travelers that stumbled upon them.

Their race was dying and their elders didn’t see it or didn’t care.

If not for a distant traveler, Hol’var and Du’mluc never would’ve had the idea or the means to go forth with their plans of revitalizing their people, their culture. Losing Hol’var meant things would need to shift slightly, but the second in command did not come all this way just to step away when things became difficult. For now, he’d work with the human organization and their leaders in order to get what they wanted.

 

* * *

 

Saturday morning continued the sunshine days that National City was known for during the spring and the leading months going into summer. Maggie was already up and making coffee just as the sun was in the middle of the sky outside. Thanks to living in the middle of nowhere in Blue Springs, Maggie had grown up waking to the rising of the sun; even though her father was one of the local police officers in the region, they still had a small barn on the side of the house, complete with a few chickens and their one cow. Sunrise meant heading out to help her mother grab fresh eggs, even milk, and make sure the animals were tended to.

Her father often took the morning shifts, so he was also up and usually heading out the door by that time. After getting kicked out, she had kept her routine, though instead of watching barn yard animals she went running; it was something that helped her through the academy and again on the streets of Gotham. Running helped clear her head – she had to focus on her breathing, pay attention to where she was and what was around her at all times, especially after she had been outed.

She didn’t run in the mornings anymore, or at least she didn’t run unless she had a lot to work out in her head and she found it was easier than just sitting and drinking all night, waking up to a horrible hangover in the morning. Now, her partner and future wife was normally the one who went running, something she had started after her father had disappeared and like Maggie, had continued it as she trained for the DEO.

Maggie was pouring the first cups of coffee when Alex came stumbling out. Alex often woke up a little after the detective, owing her body clock to her childhood and training regimen. The agent actually didn’t consider herself a morning person, at least not since college, but her party girl lifestyle had led to many late nights and even later mornings, usually trying to remember what happened the night before or remember who the person lying next to her was.

But after joining the DEO, her inner alarm clock was set to the sun rising and of course, dating someone who rose at the same time, along with a young child who did the same, it was difficult to not be up as well.

Especially if she and Maggie woke up well before the alarm for a very good morning.

Accepting the coffee mug as it slid across to her, Alex leaned across the kitchen island for the morning kiss she wanted. “Morning,” she whispered, leaning back to admire her fiancée. While she loved the adrenaline that came from her job and position, there was something to be said about having a relaxing day that Alex had come to appreciate.

That appreciation had mostly stemmed from dating Maggie the first time, but now covered watching and spending time with Mattie. The two were actually very similar in nature, which was probably why the detective had sensed such a kindred spirit within the boy and Alex found it just as easy to fall in love with the boy as she had with his adopted mother.

“Morning,” Maggie echoed. “Ready for the day?”

“As long as I just get to spend my day with you and Mattie.”

“Well, now you’ve gone and jinxed it,” the Latina joked. “Hey, you know I never asked how your interrogation of that alien went yesterday? You went to see him with Maths, right?”

Alex nodded, taking a slow sip of her coffee. “I wish I could say we got some answers,” she replied. “But all we got were more questions, believe it or not.” She went on to describe exactly what happened, from Maths confrontation with the Calendian to the alien’s words about taking over the planet.

“You seem more concerned about our mysterious friend than you do the strange, mysterious alien,” the detective joked.

“I think I am,” Alex admitted. “Do you remember in the DEO? When he started talking about Darkseid and that we should talk to Clark about him?” Maggie nodded. “He didn’t call him Clark, he called him  _Kal_. Maggie, very few people even _know_ Clark’s birth name, much less call him that; not even Lois or James call him Kal.”

“You’ve called him Kal,” Maggie replied. “I know I’ve heard you call him that. J’onn and Kara too.”

“Exactly,” Alex said. “Only those closest to him or family calls him that. His own parents don’t call him that. At this point, you could chalk it up a…familiar nickname or something. The point is, how does Maths know that? And then he starts speaking Kryptonian as though he grew up on the planet!?”

Maggie couldn’t lie; that was strange. Not many people knew alien languages and the ones she had met that did were either one of two kinds of people – those from the planet/friends of those from the planet or people who wanted to hurt those from the planet. “Yeah, that was weird,” she admitted. “But, in the guy’s defense, _you_ also speak Kryptonian.” From the look Alex threw her, Maggie was quick to amend her statement, “Which yes, is because your sister is Kryptonian. I get that. I’m just…throwing out some wild ideas. I mean, the guy did say he knew us.”

“Yeah.”

Alex sighed before taking a few sips of coffee, trying to form a proper response or question to the evidence being presented. She hadn’t even told Maggie about what the alien had told Maths, that he knew him or at least thought he knew him. He had said his stance was the same as hers and J’onn’s; was he a DEO agent at some point? Certainly Maths’ reaction to him seemed reminiscent of how the DEO had handled themselves previously, before J’onn had changed things.

“What do you think?” she asked her fiancée. Maggie was a fairly good judge of character and as a detective, could easily see through a lie. “You’ve met him. Do you really think he’s from the future? Or is this some…long con that we’re just not seeing.”

“I think _he_ thinks he’s from the future,” the detective responded. “Other than your alien friend in containment, there’s nothing that would prevent him from looking some of this stuff up. Your mom’s a world class scientist, who’s written for major science magazines and publications, so her info could easily be found, with the right tools.

“The police database is open to the public and we all have to sign the forms in order to be allowed into the academy. Anyone who works in the county clerk’s office could easily find out my birth name and know that I had it legally changed. Both Supergirl and Superman have been pretty open about where they originally come from and I’ve said it from the beginning – the glasses do nothing to disguise them; it’s just good ole fashioned public apathy that’s keeping people from putting two and two together.”

“What about the date?”

“Okay, that one…” Maggie hemmed and hawed. “It could be a lucky guess. An extremely lucky guess, but seeing as how, apparently, National City’s alien population was devastated by our break up and elated when we got back together, I’m not putting it past people to actively have betting pools on when our wedding is.”

“Firstly,” Alex countered. “They weren’t upset about us breaking up, they were upset because we didn’t invite them to the wedding. You’d think we were William and Kate up in here.”

“People lined up for their wedding,” Maggie pointed out. “We should get a horse drawn carriage.”

“We are not doing that,” the agent continued. “Secondly, how much money is this pool?”

“Last count was like…a thousand dollars?”

“Seriously!?” Alex exclaimed. A thousand dollars was not only a lot of money, but so many wedding avenues could be paid off with that. She and Maggie weren’t hurting for money, far from it, but still. A thousand dollars? “How do we get in on this?”

“Baby, I got you,” the detective smirked. “I got us on the ground floor. We’re in for a hundred that says something is going to happen on our wedding day, though I narrowed it down to alien attack.”

“Are you kidding?”

“You know, the Varsi brothers have us down for a full alien invasion.”

“No,” Alex huffed. “No, absolutely not. I will not have our wedding day ruined by an alien invasion. They will just have to wait.”

“Babe, if you go up to whatever alien commander is trying to take over this world and you tell him that, I will not let you out of our bedroom suite. We will spend our entire honeymoon in bed.”

“Am I the only person who knows what a horn dog you are?”

“No,” Maggie replied, a smile on her lips. “You’re the only who appreciates it though.”

“That’s cause I know how talented you are.”

“Thin line, baby,” Maggie whispered, leaning in closer to the redhead. “You know the boy’s gonna be up in like five minutes or less.”

“I’ll behave,” Alex said, ghosting her lips across her lover’s.

“That’s not behaving.”

“For now,” she continued. “Finish your assessment on Maths.”

“I didn’t know I was giving one,” the detective chuckled. “But that’s it. I honestly don’t think he’s trying anything; not to say his actions aren’t suspicious, cause they are, but I think he’s being serious when he says he wants to help. I do think something happened in 'his time’ or what he thinks is his time and it’s something that’s effecting us now.

“I’m not gonna lie, Ally, there’s something weird going on. I could chalk it up to different things happening at different times, but it’s too much of a coincidence of everything happening at the _same time_ , all at once.”

“I agree,” Alex murmured. “There’s something more going on and it feels like we’ve only just scratched the surface.” She was quiet for a moment before saying, “Hey Mags?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” she continued. “And…maybe it might be a good idea to get Mattie out of town for a while. Not a long time, just…just until we have this all figured out.”

“Yeah,” Maggie nodded. “Yeah, no, that’s a good idea. You got an idea of where to send him?”

Alex nodded. “My mom’s,” she said. “Mattie’s never been up to see the house, he adores her, and my mother is certainly not going to say no to spending time with her soon to be grandson.”

Upon meeting Mattie, well before her daughter and her ex had decided to try their relationship once more, Eliza Danvers had – like others before her – been completely enamored with the boy, going so far as to tell him he could call her ‘nana’ if he wanted. It would be a temporary solution and only a precaution in terms of making sure that their son was safe; Cadmus had previously shown they couldn’t be bothered with who got hurt in their quest to get rid of the aliens on Earth, even if it meant alienating the daughter Lillian claimed to love. And with the vengeful spite she already had against the Danvers sisters, Alex wasn't about to her son in harm's way.

The two looked at each other, knowing Mattie would almost immediately suspect something was up, but would none the less would be excited to visit his nana and seeing a new city for the first time. They wouldn’t say anything today – Alex would need to speak to her mother first and make sure the time frame worked – because they wanted to enjoy this time with the boy.

One thing was for sure – things seemed to simmering on the surface and both of them knew when that happened, everything would hit the fan at once, leaving them scrambling for purchase.

 

* * *

 

On most Saturdays, Kara would have a list of activities to do. Sometimes she’d spend the day with her sister and soon to be nephew, others she would just make time to hang out with James or Lena. On occasion, she’d be task with putting on her cape and doing her side job as a superhero. Suffice it to say, her weekends were never boring.

On this particular Saturday, Kara was all about finding her mysterious contact, Truth Hertz.

Ever since the attack that occurred at Plastino, which resulted in the death of Evan Peters, the plucky reporter hadn’t heard anything from the conspiracy theorist and the more she looked into where they may have gone, the more her concern and worry grew. She had already checked the website to see if anything new had been posted, only to discover that the site had been taken down.

She had made at least a dozen calls and sent even more texts with no reply. If this had been anyone else – Alex, James, Lena – she could excuse the lack of communication as them being busy; it had happened enough times that she knew to distinguish between being caught up in work and being in a dangerous situation. However, given the information that TH had given her and was willing to share, this seemed more of the latter than the former.

Kara knew there had to be a way to at least contact TH. The last thing the blonde had tried was to email her contact, only to have it bounce back to her, stating that the email recipient was no longer at that address. It was almost like TH had completely and utterly disappeared from the face of the earth. But the reporter knew that wasn’t true and unless there was some sort of alien involvement, TH was somewhere, she just didn’t know _where_.

But she certainly knew people who could find him.

In the past, this had been the perfect situation to get Winn involved, allowing him to flex his technological and hacking muscles. Kara didn’t have Winn, but she did have Brainy and the entire force of the DEO.

Kara had spent the morning in her apartment, weekend news coverage murmuring quietly in the background from her TV while she sat at her kitchen island trying to work on the article about the video, however the blonde knew that this was more than just about an uploaded video. This might have far more reaching consequences. She knew Snapper was getting a bit frustrated in not having a ready made story, however as a journalist himself, he knew that stories didn’t just come together overnight.

And this was more than just one story.

This…could be a redefining career moment.

Picking up the cell phone she had placed next to her, Kara immediately found the image for Brainy, tapping it, and waited for the alien to pick up. Alex had gotten on her more than once about having names and pictures of people in her phone, pointing out the hazards of their jobs, but the younger Danvers had reminded the agent that she was a reporter and other than Lillian Luthor, she was confident that no one would be going through her phone looking for anything incriminating.

The other line rang three times before the Coluan answered, still finding the concept of digital communication in the 21st century archaic compared to what he was used to. “This is Querl Dox,” he answered.

“Hey Brainy,” Kara greeted. “It’s me. Hey, I hate to bother you on a Saturday, but I’m wondering if you could help me out with something.”

“Of course, Kara,” the alien agreed. “Is something wrong? Are you alright?”

The reporter couldn’t help but smile at that. It had been hard for Brainy to adjust to life, not only in the 21st century, but on Earth, especially in the hostile climate he had began in. He had never truly experienced the kind of hate and negativity that came with the emergence of the Graves siblings and Agent Liberty – none of them had really – and the superhero had actually worried that it would only take one more incident like the one in the pizza shop before he was calling up his Legion friends and begging to go home.

But despite the newness of the world around him, Brainy had shown the ability to learn from the mistakes of others and even his own; Alex had once remarked he had often times reminded her of a young Kara, newly transplanted onto an unfamiliar planet, with people she didn’t know, in a world she didn’t understand.

Brainy could be annoying and frustrating at times, but he had an endearing quality to him and his addition to the DEO had only strengthen their team.

“No,” she replied, smiling. “I mean, no, nothing’s wrong and yes, I’m alright. I actually need that superior intellect of yours, or at least your superior technology powers.”

“I’m listening.”

Kara explained the situation, stressing that this wasn’t just her reporting side wanting to get a story, but that she was actually afraid that something may have happened to her source and considering that the second, potential source had been murdered right in front of them, she had enough cause to warrant the worry. The blonde hadn’t even finished her reasons before there was a knock on her door.

“Brainy, hang on,” she said, walking to the door and opening it. “There’s someone…oh.”

“I figured it would just be easier for me to arrive then for you to find me,” the Coluan stated, his appearance on the other side of the door startling Kara.

“Good point,” she nodded. Taking a step back, Kara allowed him to walk through, closing the door after him as he gave a quick look around. “So, I’m not really sure how to go about it, but I know it’s possible to find out someone’s information through a few things based on their internet history? That’s where I’m not sure where the process goes from there.”

“Well,” Brainy began, indicating one of the kitchen island stools, getting a nod from Kara to have a seat. “The concept is seemingly rudimentary – this century’s culture seems completely enthralled with telling complete strangers everything about their lives through your internets. It was one of the more baffling things Imra and I couldn’t understand when Mon-El described the practice. The very idea that one would enjoy spending more time revealing personal information to someone they don’t know instead of coming together to help solve this century’s problems and challenges makes no sense.”

Seeing the obvious unamused look the reporter was sending him, Brainy cleared his throat. There were many things about the 21st century that made no sense to him and that was one of them, but if he had learned anything while in this century, it was that humans were quite reluctant to sometimes face their own foibles.

“While your technology isn’t as…advanced,” he continued. “I can determine the person’s information with just a few, possibly illegal, means.”

“I’m not asking for you to do something that’s going to get the guy hurt,” Kara replied. “And certainly this wouldn’t be something I would condone, but in this case, I think we’re okay.” Sighing, the reporter looked at her fellow agent. “I wouldn’t have you do this if I knew any other way,” she whispered. “But I’m starting to get the feeling that there’s something wrong and we need to find out what.”

Brainy nodded. “May I?” he asked, indicating the laptop that sat on the island. Kara gave her consent and watched as the Coluan made sure to save her work before opening a private browser window. “How shall we proceed?”

The reporter gave him all the information she knew – email address and web address, even going as far as to try to describe TH’s personal attributes – to help him on his quest. It didn’t take long for Brainy to find a first name and even locate both a work and home address. “How exactly do you know this person?” he asked. “This…Lucky Spencer?”

“I don’t,” she admitted. “Know him, that is. He, or she, contacted me in regards to a story I’m writing.”

“About the mysterious video involving the state’s governor, correct?” Kara nodded. “Do you do normally go through these measures for a story contact?”

The reporter shook her head. “No,” she said. “But these are special circumstances. I’ve never had a contact suddenly disappear before, especially not with everything else going on.” At Brainy’s confused look, Kara explained what the group had discussed the night before, as well as what she and Maggie had discovered earlier that day.

“So it’s your belief that these situations are connected,” the alien murmured. His thoughts whirled as he considered the information he knew – from Maths’ encounter with the Calendian, the mysterious arrival of both Maths and the alien, the sudden video upload, Kara’s disappeared contact…

“This is bigger than just that video,” the reporter replied. “Maggie’s partner is investigating the disappearance of the governor’s aide; he was in that video along with, supposedly, Governor Marks. And according to Brian, that aide may not have been as innocent as people think.”

“How so?”

“Brian made it seem as though the aide may know more about Marks’ position in contacting those aliens,” Kara explained. “Obviously, it’s Brian’s interpretation, but it might hold some water as to why Marks seems to be hanging around the very people he despises.”

Brainy nodded. “Dan Maths went in to speak with the Calendian we have in custody,” he said. “I wasn’t privy to the conversation, but it didn’t seem to go the way he had hoped.”

“Why not?” asked the blonde.

“Not sure,” he replied. “He seemed convinced that we finally knew the motives, but Agent Danvers pointed out that perhaps things were not what we thought. That of course is troubling. The question still remains as to why these aliens are currently in this time period, especially when it seems as though their presence isn’t even necessary.”

The more she worked on this case, the more questions seemed to come up.

With real name and location in hand, Kara and Brainy decided to head out towards Inco, an internet security firm located in downtown National City and the workplace of one Lucky Spencer. Inco was a rising star within the data security and protection industry, creating solutions to help businesses combat the growing attacks by cyber criminals.

Brainy hadn’t gotten any type of position title, only that Inco had been listed as the place of business for one Lucky Spencer, but a few choice questions might be able to get some information on the guy. Located only blocks from the restaurant where she had met the persona Truth Hertz, Inco was located in a four storied, multi-windowed structure within a business plaza.

As the two DEO operatives walked towards the doors of the building, it seemed clear that the office was closed over the weekend, though Kara was able to see heat signatures inside that suggested otherwise. Her instincts proved correct when someone walked past them to enter the building.

“Excuse me!” the reporter exclaimed, causing the employee to turn towards them. It was a woman, dressed casually in jeans and red hoodie with a yellow star emblazoned on the front. Her blue dyed hair was tied in a ponytail and she was moving star shaped sunglasses from her eyes to the top of her head.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Hi,” Kara said, holding out her hand. The woman looked at it before looking back up at the blonde’s face. “Sorry to bother, we’re actually looking for a friend of ours. Lucky Spencer? We’re pretty sure this is where he works and we’re hoping he’d be here.”

“You’re friends of Spence?” the woman asked, suspiciously, looking between the two of them. “Why you looking for them?”

Both aliens opened their mouths to say something, but then stopped to look at each other. Sighing, Kara decided to go with the truth instead of a made up story. “I’m a reporter,” she explained. “He…they were helping me on a story I’m working and I haven’t heard from them in a few days. Honestly, I’m a getting a little worried.”

The young woman looked the two up and down, a suspicious glare clear on her face. “Reporter, huh?” she murmured, staring straight at the blonde. “It’s about that video, right? The one that’s the governor all up in arms? I told them to leave that shit alone, but they never listened to little ole me.”

“You know something about the video he took?” asked Brainy.

“I know that they shouldn’t have taken it,” the woman shot back. “Jackass. So they’ve disappeared, huh?”

“Well,” Kara began, clearing her throat. “I don’t know if I can say they’ve disappeared, but I’ve certainly tried contacting them with no word, which…in the context of this article, is really weird.”

The woman nodded. “Well,” she replied. “I wish I could help you, but we haven’t seen them either, but it’s not terribly unlike them.”

“What does Spence, you called them?” Brainy asked. “What does Spence do here?”

“Technically they’re one of our programmers,” the woman said. “But they’ve got a background in security, so they’ve done some consulting on the side sometimes. Usually they’re here Monday through Thursday and work at home through the weekends, so…” the woman shrugged. “I can’t say if I’ve seen them or not, honestly.”

“When was the last time you _did_ see them?” Kara questioned.

“Thursday for sure,” the woman answered. “They came in for work, went out to lunch, and came back to finish out the day. I remembered asking if they wanted to do something Friday night, but Spence said there was something already in the works.” The blue haired woman looked the two over for a fourth time. “Not sure if this means anything,” she whispered. “But you aren’t the first two people who’ve come in looking for Spence.”

Kara and Brainy looked at each other. “Who else has been asking about them?” the Coluan asked.

“Don’t know,” the woman shrugged. “But it was a bunch of suits, men in black types, you know? They didn’t say who they were or what they wanted, only that they were looking for Spence. I can’t lie, I sent them a text on a head’s up about it, but I never heard anything back. Figured they took the first bus out of town.”

“Do you remember when this was?” Kara asked.

“Friday morning…no, afternoon,” the woman clarified. “It was around lunch, I remember that cause I was heading out when they came through the front door.” The woman gave a glance through the very door before turning back to the two. “Hey, sorry, I’d love to talk more,” she replied. “But I gotta get back to it.”

Kara nodded. “Of course,” she said. “Thank you so much. This has been very helpful, thank you.”

“I’m sure Spence is fine,” the woman said, though her voice wavered slightly. “When you find them, give them a slap on the head for me. Idiot.”

The woman gave a nod to the two before unlocking the door, walking into the building lobby and locking the door behind her, leaving the two DEO operatives to watch her go. “Your theory on Lucky Spencer’s disappearance seems to have some merit,” Brainy murmured.

“I never said they disappeared,” Kara countered. “Now, however…all signs definitely point to something wrong. Do you have the home address?” Brainy nodded. “I think we need to head over there, right now.”

Given the situation, time was the essence and both decided that flying to Spence’s location was the best course of action. The two quickly hurried towards the nearby alley for Kara to change and then they were both in the air, flying as fast as they could towards the apartment complex that was listed as the home address. The Blue Sky Apartments were located just a few miles from entering the downtown area, in almost a suburb like environment, in a neighborhood with similar buildings.

Blue Sky was a high rise complex, with a few eateries making up the first floor and a gym on the second. The complex itself was about twenty-five floors, where the top twenty-three were devoted to the apartments and their residents. Supergirl and Brainy landed on the building’s roof and quickly headed down to the twelfth floor to apartment 1239, where Lucky Spencer lived. Before the two had reached the door, they could already see something was very wrong.

The door was already ajar, but there was no way to know if that was because of Spence or someone else. “It looks like we aren’t the only ones who have decided to come calling,” Brainy murmured, as the two approached the door slowly and cautiously.

The Kryptonian took point, using her x-ray vision to see if there was anyone currently inside. Seeing no one, she slowly opened the door to peer inside. There was a short hallway to walk through and it seemed to be the only area that hadn’t been touched by whomever had been inside previously. The interior of the apartment was in shambles – there were items all over the floor, the couch had been overturned, lamps, side tables, and television had been knocked over and shattered on the wooden floor.

“Clearly there has been a struggle here,” the Coluan replied, looking around. He reached out to touch something that had fallen to the floor, but Supergirl stopped him.

“Don’t touch anything,” she said. “You’ll contaminate any evidence that might be important and lead us to Spence.” Touching a finger to her ear, she asked, “Anyone in the office today?”

“Bored already?” came a question from Vasquez. “I would’ve thought you’d be chasing your nephew around somewhere.”

“Not today,” Kara responded. “I’m working on an article, which is actually why I’m calling in. Can you send a call to Detective Dan Turpin with NCPD? I think I have a crime scene for him to investigate.”

“Okay,” Vasquez said. “You don’t want me to contact Detective Sawyer?”

“Dan’s her partner, so she’ll find out eventually,” the super replied. “But she and Alex are out with Mattie today and I’d hate to ruin her Saturday, even if I’m ruining Dan’s. Great, now I feel bad.”

“Sorry,” the agent chuckled. “Should I tell him you’re, that is to say Supergirl, is on the scene?”

“No,” Kara said, shaking her head. “Actually, if you could call him and patch him to me. He’ll know what I’m talking about.”

“Connecting now.”

Supergirl listened as the phone rang twice before she heard the gruff voice of the male detective. “Turpin.”

“Dan?” she asked. “Hey, it’s Kara. Kara Danvers? I’m really sorry to be bothering you on a Saturday, but…I think I may have come across a crime scene.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spanish translation -
> 
> Dulces sueños, cariño = Sweet dreams, my heart/sweetheart
> 
> Te amo = I love you


	8. Chapter VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turpin goes over his notes, while Marks holds his press conference. Maggie and Dan Maths have a run in with the Calendians and we learn what truly happened to Trevor Grossman. Turpin and Sawyer have a misunderstanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy post-Thanksgiving to my US readers and again, apologies on the lateness.
> 
> This chapter features both Dan Turpin and Dan Maths, so as before, Turpin will be Dan and Maths will be Maths. I also go into the standard police stances, which I will link in the end notes.
> 
> The plot kinda thickens - I hope - here, as things come together.
> 
> Or maybe they start to fall apart...

Detective Dan Turpin was going to have a busy week.

The governor’s office seemed to be all over him about finding leads to their missing aide, completely discounting the fact that _they_ were the ones who should be supplying _him_ information, not the other way around. To top that off, he’d gotten a call from Kara Danvers over the weekend to tell him she was on the scene of _another_ disappearance, which made it twice in one week that the reporter just happened to be on a crime scene.

And if that didn’t spark his suspicion meter, Maggie had sent him a text earlier that she needed to talk to him, preferably after Gov. Marks made his press conference. She was apparently going to be onsite for the thing, so Turpin assumed the FBI had a man – or woman – onsite too just in case the crowd got too uppity. He couldn’t figure out what his partner wanted to speak to him about; as far as he knew, they were working two different cases, though the younger man was sure the Latina was working on something that dealt with her fiancée’s FBI dealings.

That Monday morning, after kissing his wife goodbye and dropping off his two sons at pre-school, Turpin had stopped to get himself some actual real coffee before hitting his desk within the small office of the NCPD Science Division. Bucky and JD were already at their desks, nodding to him as he walked in. Despite Maggie being their captain and leader, she often shared the secondary desk that was situated on the other side of his.

It was still early, just a little after seven, but Dan was already piercing together just what the hell might be going on with the cases he was now presented with. On the surface, the missing Trevor Grossman and Lucky Spencer had nothing to do with one another, nor did the murder of Evan Peters; the only connection to the last two were CatCo reporter Kara Danvers, who always seemed to be somewhere she shouldn’t be, in the detective’s experience.

The blonde always seemed to pop up in the strangest situations, whether it be at a gala for Lena Luthor or at a crime scene. At least with Supergirl, she was usually hanging around the FBI. Come to think of it, Dan was pretty sure he’d seen the super with Alex and Maggie a few times, though he had chucked it off as them being friendly with each other.

The strange circumstances of the blonde reporter aside, the detective pulled out his notes and started from the beginning. Something had been rubbing him the wrong way since he arrived on scene at Plastino and he couldn’t figure out what it was. Grabbing his notebook, he stood and went over to a nearby whiteboard and began writing down what he knew.

He started with the very case he’d been given – Trevor Grossman.

Trevor Grossman was a twenty-five year old career government staffer, landing positions within National City’s local government with ambitions to reach federal. He’d been with the governor’s office for about two and a half years, moving from lonely intern right up to the governor’s aide. It was Trevor’s family that had reported him missing, the morning after the infamous video he was now featured in went public.

For anyone else, there would be a 48 hour waiting period, but Gov. Marks’ office had immediately wanted the NCPD to look into where the young man had gone, especially when it wasn’t like him to just suddenly disappear. That was the same sentiment Dan had gotten from the family as well, that Trevor was a punctual and very committed young man when it came to speaking with his family.

As with any investigation, Dan started the search at Trevor’s apartment, finding the man had seemed to have left in a hurry. The clothes in the closet had been riffled through, with some haphazardly thrown on the bed or the floor; the detective had noted there was no suitcase or luggage within the closet and Dan confirmed with the family that the carry-on luggage Grossman normally had was gone.

Dan had next tried to locate the young man via GPS tracking on his cell phone, but the only thing they could say for certain was that his phone had pinged off a cell phone tower about 10 miles from his apartment, possibly heading towards the capital building, but that’s where the signal stopped. It seemed like an open and shut case – Trevor discovered the video or saw someone videotaping them and he panicked. He grabbed his things and made sure to turn off his cell so he couldn’t be tracked.

It wasn’t a new story, people did it all the time, and sadly, even the people you know are capable of just wanting to get up and walk away from it all. And it sounded like Trevor did exactly that.

And then Dan got called about Evan Peters, some plant worker who had been shot the night before, in the presence of both Supergirl and the Guardian. Why they weren’t able to stop the people that did it the cop didn’t understand, but the next day he was on the scene and explaining to both his partner and her future sister-in-law that he thought these cases might be tied together.

He just didn’t know how.

And now, only a few days later, he was looking at another missing person case with Kara Danvers once again seemingly at the center of it all. None of it made any sense, but then again, the brunette didn’t become a cop because the world made sense. Standing at the large whiteboard, Dan took the opportunity to start writing down some of his notes, ideas, concerns, what have you. The board was one of the larger ones in the office, mostly used for brainstorming on some of their really big cases and for some reason, Turpin had a feeling this was a really big case.

“You mind-mapping, Danny Boy?” asked Bucky, as he and JD watched the detective.

“Yeah,” Turpin murmured, starting on the left side of the board and writing **TREVOR GROSSMAN**. Moving to the middle of the board, he then scrawled **EVAN PETERS** before moving to the far right and writing out **LUCKY SPENCER**.

“Who’s Lucky Spencer?” JD asked, appearing behind Dan along with Bucky.

“New missing person case,” the detective replied. “No surprise, but that CatCo reporter Danvers reported it over the weekend. Went to his work and apartment, found the latter in shreds. Definite struggle.”

“But who is he?” asked Bucky.

“One of her sources,” Dan said. “Along with Evan Peters.”

In the middle of the latter two names, Dan wrote out Kara’s name in big letters and drew two lines connecting her to both Peters and Spencer. Bucky and JD watched as Turpin began to fill out the board, writing in both Gov Marks names and surprisingly, Alex Danvers and Maggie Sawyer, connecting both to Kara. He added in the TMZ video that had been uploaded, along marking a line from Grossman to the video to Kara.

“There a reason you got Maggie’s name up there?” asked Shelby Yao, who had walked in while the three were standing at the whiteboard.

“She’s connected to the reporter,” Dan explained. “And she’s about to marry said reporter’s sister. Seems relevant.”

“Unless it’s not,” countered Bucky, giving the detective a strange look. “What exactly do you think _Maggie_ would be doing?”

Dan took a deep breath before letting it out in a sigh. He was already stressed by the first name on the board and he didn’t really feel like explaining his thought process on this. “I’m just adding stuff to the board that I’ve got in notes,” he said, turning to look at the three curious bystanders behind him. “Besides, you know Sawyer’s gonna start looking into this, if she hasn’t already, so adding her as an active player doesn’t hurt. And if _she’s_ involved, you can bet her girl’s involved too.”

The answer seemingly satisfied the group, causing the three to nod in agreement. Only Bucky had been in the Science Division the first time their captain had been engaged to the agent and as far as he knew, he was also the only one who was aware that Alex Danvers wasn’t FBI, but DEO. But from experience, he knew that their cases often overlapped with the DEO or vice versa and if Alex _was_ involved, Maggie was too.

Dan watched the others walk back to their desks, reminding Bucky and JD that he wanted the results of what they had found on Peters’ hard drives and if anything of interest came out of his office. Turning back to the whiteboard, the detective stared long and hard at his etchings before he added the word ‘ _missing_ ’ next to Grossman and Spencer’s names and the word ‘ _dead_ ’ next to Peters’. He made a few more notes, such as ‘ _aliens involved?_ ’ and noting that word on the street was that Grossman may have been into something even his family didn’t know.

Though he was still relatively new to National City, Dan thankfully did have at least one or two alien contacts he could count on. It was a small number when compared to Maggie – she had been trying to coax him into coming to some secret alien bar she knew – but they were reliable and ran in the same circles as some of Maggie’s guys. Turning back towards his desk, the brunette grabbed his cell and began sending a text.

_Need to meet._

_When? Got a short timeline_

_Today? Afternoon?_

_Fine. What about?_

_Case I’m working on. Might involve aliens._

_1:15pm. The usual place._

Nodding at his meeting time, Dan again looked back at his board. He hadn’t listed the press conference, but he wasn’t sure what Marks was planning on saying during it. Right now, there was speculation all over this newly uploaded video and the detective was interested on how the politician would spin his angle.

 

* * *

 

National Park was situated in downtown National City, only a block away from the CatCo Plaza. The park was the largest in the state, offering tall trees to block out the warm California sun, lush green grass that was enclosed by several walkways and park benches. National Park also offered a small stage area, where many reenactments of plays and stage shows took place and was also a premiere location for visiting dignitaries.

The park had played host to former President Marsdin twice, both times to promote her extremely bold and controversial Alien Amnesty Act and had even held a rally from Agent Liberty and his pro-human group. Today, it was where Governor Peter Marks was planning to deliver a press conference in regard to the strange video that had been uploaded and trending on YouTube last week.

The governor had been relatively silent on the matter, only having his staff note that they were looking into the video but were disputing any evidence that Marks had either changed his stance on the aliens within the city or was working with aliens in the city. This would be the first official comment the politician had made since the video’s release and since the internet news outlet TMZ had gotten a hold of it.

Marks hated having to give these types of appearances; it was obvious there were forces at play that were trying to undermine his administration and he wasn’t about to let them get their way. This was purely supposed to be for the press, however his image people thought it a good sign to hold this thing in a place where the public could attend as well. He had his detractors, but he also had supporters and it was important for them to see him stand up to the liberal and false media.

The morning wasn’t going well – already, he had to dodge a call from Trevor’s mother, who was begging him to help them in the search for her son. He had Darla reassure the woman that they were actively working with the police in trying to find him, while Evan had been on the phone with whatever bonehead officer who working on the case, asking for status. The governor was about a second away from employing the services of Lillian Luthor’s group to find the missing aide, but he was going to leave that as a last resort.

The gathering crowd in the area had grown since he’d first arrive, notably with more and more reporters and pedestrians coming together to listen to him deny these hideous ideas. His speech writer – Gretchen? Heidi? It was something European – had given him something to read off of, complete with gentle talking points and reasonable responses to any questions that might come up, but he wasn’t going to use it.

The people liked his honesty and his ability to be real with his answers.

Marks looked out at the crowd again, seeing some familiar reporters at the front – the pretty blonde from CatCo, the stunning redhead from the Star, the exotic brunette from the Republic – and a few crowd members that seemed to just be milling about. Evan had noted that there would most likely be some plain clothes officers there, just for crowd control.

The conference was lined up for 9 o’clock sharp, only fifteen minutes from now, and Marks quickly went through his phone for any messages. There was one from his wife, wishing him good luck and one from his mistress, asking if he would be available afterwards. He’d also missed a call from the office, the voicemail icon sitting steadily on his notification bar.

At five till, Evan took to the podium that had been set up and addressed those who had gathered. “Attention!” he called. “Attention everyone! Thank you very much for attending. Governor Marks appreciates you being here to help clear up this misunderstanding. Journalists, please be respectful of the governor’s time and of each other; if you have a question, please raise your hand in order to be recognized. Once you are called on, you’ll be able to ask your question. Please allow the governor to finish his answer before you ask another question. Due to our time constraints, we may not be able to get to all of you, but again, we do appreciate your understanding.”

The younger man turned to nod at Marks before going back to address the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, the governor of California, Peter Marks.”

The crowd politely clapped, though there were some civilians who cheered and shouted his name. The man nodded to the group, before clearing his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press,” he began. “As Evan stated, I am grateful for your presence today and thank you for taking time out of your schedules to meet here this morning. To the citizens of National City who have come out, welcome and thank you as well. It’s extremely important that you’re here today, that you’ve come to hear the truth from someone you can trust.

“As you know, last week, a vicious video was circulated that has brought into question my beliefs and my stance. Let me take the moment and this opportunity to reaffirm to you, the citizens of National City, that I have been and always will be a proponent of _human_ rights. Humans are the ones that colonized these great United States and it was humans that first discovered the wonder of the stars and solar system.

“The video that has been seen is a hoax,” Marks persisted. “Perpetrated by an individual or individuals who have turned their backs on the human condition and would rather tolerate our extermination by hostile, alien forces. The individuals in that video may look like myself and a group of aliens, but I assure you. I am not, have not, and will not collude with invaders to our planet and our way of life. You may now ask your questions.”

Immediately hands went up, as reporters eagerly tried to get the governor’s attention.

Kara’s hand was immediately in the air, even before Marks had finished speaking. She had gotten there earlier, wanting to make sure she had a front row seat and visibility on Marks in case something happened. She had seen Maggie in the crowd earlier, along with a several other plain clothes officers that were keeping an eye on things; the reporter had only received a slight nod of the detective’s head as their eyes met, not wanting to make any significant signals in case the wrong people were watching.

After alerting Detective Turpin to Lucky Spencer’s apartment and apparent kidnapping/disappearance, the blonde had tried to remember if there had been anything significant in her correspondence with the conspiracy theorist, coming up empty each time. She had only met the blogger twice and both times had been about the video that they had uploaded. Talking to their colleague at work was the first real information Kara actually had on the guy. That of course wasn’t at all helpful to Dan nor her, but for the moment, all she could do was hope that the detective could find out more than she had.

The rest of her weekend was spent pouring over the video again and preparing her questions for Marks. While asking about his missing aide would certainly show she was far more informed than the other reporters, it also opened up several issues, not including remarking on an active police investigation, but possibly revealing too much to those responsible. No, Kara had to keep her questions relevant to the video and what it might mean for the current governor’s position in the community.

First hand up doesn’t always mean first picked and Marks passed over her in favor of Misty Waters, the journalist for the California Star; she definitely aided to the feisty declaration of redheads everywhere. “Governor,” she began. “The video in question does show someone who looks distinctly like you. How do you explain that?”

“It’s very simple, Mickey,” he replied, completely ignoring hearing the woman correcting her name as he answered. “I’ve seen the video in question and from it, my staff has concluded that it was taken in the parking garage of City Hall, which held a monthly meeting on that night. Obviously, as governor of this great state, I have a direct interest in the matter of our citizens, hence why I was there. The video is a clear manipulation of my presence. Next question.”

Seeing Kara’s hand, he pointed to her.

“Given your stance on National City’s alien population, as well as any aliens who call Earth home, and coupled with this video,” she stated. “How do you explain this to your opponents?”

Marks reared back slightly, a sour look gracing his face at the question. “If you’re hoping to hear that I’m turning back on the _true_ inhabitants of this planet, Miss Davis,” he said. “You’re sadly mistaken. I have and always will be a proponent of celebrating and preserving the fragile human life that resides here, now, and in the future. This video is clear evidence that my opponents are hoping to use to discredit me.”

The governor began to look for another hand in the crowd, but Kara was quick to ask her next question before he could. “What opponents are you referencing, Governor?”

Again, the politician was clearly not happy with this line of questioning, but he kept his professional demeanor. “I’m referring to those anti-human affiliates who would rather see our great race eradicated, preferring to grant asylum to dangerous alien beings, instead of protecting their own. Next…”

“But Governor,” the blonde persisted. “Thanks to President Marsdin’s Alien Amnesty Act, those aliens are afforded the right to vote, meaning that with enough support, you could be looking for another job.”

“That’s a strong assumption, Miss Daniels.”

“It’s Danvers, sir.”

“And if you haven’t been paying attention,” Marks continued, bypassing the last remark. “You would know that we are strongly forcing the removal of that law, especially when it clearly benefited the former president, who wasn’t even human. Next question _not_ coming from CatCo, please.”

Before the next question could be asked, by a young man from one of the national syndicates, someone in the back of the crowd suddenly screamed, causing everyone in the front to turn around. There was already a commotion happening, with several onlookers – including some of the NCPD plain clothes officers – being thrown aside. It was only when the crowd parted, mostly from people running around and trying to get to safety, did Kara see what or rather who was causing the commotion.

The two Calendians that Supergirl and Guardian had run into at Plastino Chemicals seemed to have returned and were now attacking those in the crowd. Immediately, Kara looked around for a place to change, but the park was full of people, both because of the press conference and the warm day. “Go,” she heard from her right. “I’ll cover you.” Turning, she only caught a glance of Maggie as she rushed to get a few people - including the governor - towards safety, while issuing orders to the other officers to watch themselves.

She wasn’t sure if the detective saw her nod, but the reporter didn’t have time to check before she was rushing towards a nearby deserted corner of the pavilion. A quick change was all that was needed before she was in the air and down in front of one of the aliens, sending a fist towards its face and causing it to stumble back.

“Remember me?” she quipped, turning on the second Calendian and using her breath to knock it off its feet. She was just in time to avoid a blow that came from the first, blocking another blow before hitting it directly in the chest. Supergirl was blindsided however when the second alien came and tackled her from the side, sending her to the grassy ground. Once there, the being held her down, swiping her across the chest.

The super screamed in pain, trying to recoil from the Calendian, but the being kept his hold on her, already raising his arm to slash at her again. He was stopped by a sudden pain in his shoulder, causing him to look over to his right; another human was pointing a weapon at him and she looked ready to attack again. His comrade shouted at him in their native language and the being had no choice but to flee, however he gave a lasting punch to the super’s face before jumping up and running.

“Ow, my face,” Supergirl groaned, covering it with her hand and rolling on her side. Maggie touched her shoulder lightly. “I’m okay,” she muttered.

“I’m calling it in,” the detective replied. Touching the earpiece, she said, “Hey, anyone on the line? We’ve got a situation in National Park. Supergirl is down.”

“No, I’m not,” the blonde protested, struggling to sit up.

“Understood, Detective Sawyer,” Brainy responded. “Is Supergirl alright?”

“Yes,” the super groaned.

“Two suspects, heading south east on foot. I’m in pursuit.”

“Wait, Maggie, don’t…”

“I’ll be cool,” the Latina whispered, patting the super on the shoulder.

Growling slightly, the detective did exactly what she said she would – she immediately was on her feet and in pursuit of the two aliens. They already had a head start on her and in a city full of aliens, it could be difficult to find even two distinct ones, however the person in pursuit was Detective Maggie Sawyer; she had cultivated a relationship with the alien community just for this reason, so she could find those that would want to hurt those aliens who just wanted a better life.

A few years ago, Oscar Rodas had looked his daughter in the eye and told her how things would never change, how her being gay was just one more nail in the proverbial coffin of being a minority in the US. Maggie was well aware how much her father struggled, how her mother, uncles, aunts, and other family struggled in a small Nebraska town where being non-white was a target on your back. And after being outed as a lesbian, that target had grown bigger.

So Maggie fully understood what it was like for people to just want to keep their heads down, do good work, and be left alone to do it; that was why she held aliens in such high regard. And that only pushed her to defend those rights and she took that duty very personally. Yes, in hindsight, going after two aliens who were able to take down Supergirl wasn’t smart – she’d be hearing about this from both Kara and Alex later, she was sure – but the creatures had gotten away once before, with disastrous consequences and the detective didn’t even want to consider the possibility of lives lost in the crowd today.

National Park’s very location meant the Calendians would be near businesses, which meant more humans for them to terrorize. Maggie could see them in the distance as she pushed hard on her chase, thankful they weren’t stopping to cause more harm, however it did mean they were unheeded by traffic or anyone in their way. The beings didn’t seem to be following any kind of direction, other than just trying to lose the officer behind them, even going so far as to knock down poles and kick cans in her path, hoping to slow her down.

It didn’t.

The aliens didn’t seem the bit phased about the chase, other than it was still going on and Maggie was thankful that Alex had gotten her back into running in the mornings, though she knew her muscles would be feeling this a little later on. The trio managed to break through the city limits and the detective could see they were headed in the direction of the city’s industrial area, which was situated near the city’s shipping bays.

Much of the area was devoted to manufacturing warehouses or server farms for many of the large enterprises that were located downtown. While Maggie believed the aliens to be rushing from the park without a dedicated plan, she couldn’t say the same when they seemed to instinctively be heading towards a particular building, skirting around to the side and entering it through a backdoor.

Maggie slowed her hunt for a moment, taking the time to study the lay of the land before she went charging in. Her eyes scanned the area, noting the buildings there and the number of people who were milling around; it was clear that either the workers hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary or were so used to aliens running around, they turned a blind eye to these types of events. The building itself was non-descript and she was fairly sure she was on the back side of it, where any identification was hard to find or not there at all.

This was the time the lieutenant really wished she had waited for backup and hoped beyond anything that Alex or J’onn or anyone at this point was tracking her and the DEO would be showing up any moment. She gave it about a minute before realizing she would need to go in and at least report on any activity and hope that the two aliens were the only ones there.

Taking a deep breath, Maggie made her way towards the door.

 

* * *

 

Monday morning started out as any day within the DEO, but today the agents seemed to be on a higher alert. Dan Maths was starting to feel like a permanent resident within the building, despite his very brief five day stay. Honestly, he was becoming a bit stir crazy; in his timeline, he was very familiar with the halls and rooms of the DEO, so exploring it wasn’t really necessary – not that J’onn, Brainy, or anyone else would him anywhere past the command center or his cozy one room cell.

A lesser person might have just given into boredom and kept to themselves or became a constant nuisance to every person there; Maths wanted to be helpful. While the agents may have gotten used to his presence at this point, it didn’t mean they trusted him and above all, he wanted everyone to trust him. It was frustrating, for sure; these were people who were known to him, whom he had known for a good portion of his life…

Who he had watched die.

It was hard not to express annoyance with everyone, with the people he knew. The truth was, they didn’t know _him_ , at least as he was now. He couldn’t blame them – certainly if this was happening in his time, the DEO would have acted the exact same way. As it was, Maths found that the agents would tolerate him, even though he was still on the suspect list. To keep occupied, the young stranger tried to help Brainy learn more about the Calendians, especially the one they had locked up in containment.

That went nowhere, as the alien refused to talk to anyone after the first encounter with the humans, but it didn’t stop Maths from trying, even when it was clear he wasn’t going to get anything from the being. Today, however Maths wanted to leave things be, deciding that the best way to learn more was to gather as much information as he could, difficult as it could be without the help of the Legion’s resources and without the ability to actually reveal what he truly knew.

Everyone seemed to be gathered in the command center, watching a press conference on the multiple screens that lined the wall. It looked like the event had just started, with a staffer announcing the governor before stepping away from the podium and allowing the politician to speak. Maths vaguely remembered the man, though he did recall that he was one of those who were firmly on the side of being a human first state and planet, just one of the many catalysts that began the downfall of, ironically, humanity. Marks spoke of the video that had come out the week before and how it was an obvious fake, created by his opponents.

As the camera panned the audience and reporters there, everyone could see Kara out in front and watched as she asked her questions.

Then all hell broke loose.

There were several cameramen who were recording the incident, showing the two remaining Calendians were the culprits. “Where’s Alex?” Maths asked immediately, knowing that the assistant director would’ve been out the door the moment the commotion was heard.

“She’s in route back here,” J’onn answered, turning to look at Vasquez. “Vasquez, get a few agents down there to provide assistance to the NCPD.”

_The NCPD…_

“Maggie,” the stranger whispered, his face draining of color. Alex was somehow out of town and Maggie was down there by herself…

Agents were scrambling to get to the area, aware that the slower they were, the more people could get hurt. A few cameras were still rolling, but it was still hard to see everything that was happening; one camera had fallen to the ground and was still recording, though the camera was clearly on its side. It captured the fight between Supergirl and the two aliens, as well as the blindside that took her to the ground.

_“Hey, anyone on the line? We’ve got a situation in National Park. Supergirl is down.”_

Maggie’s voice rang clear in the room and Maths could see the familiar leather jacket on the TV screen. Brainy spoke to her, but the Latina had apparently already made up her mind about heading off and everyone watched her do exactly that. “I gotta get down there.”

“Mr. Maths…”

“J’onn, you _have_ to let me go!” the younger man pleaded. “Maggie’s in danger and we both know that agents won’t be able to reach her in time, not when they have to deal with crowd control, anyone on NCPD being down, _and_ Supergirl.”

“If the DEO isn’t able to reach her, what makes you think you could?” the Martian retorted.

“Because I _can_ ,” Maths growled, his eyes hard as he looked at the agency director.

“Sir,” Brainy replied, turning in his chair to look at the two. “We are tracking Detective Sawyer; she appears to be moving at a high rate of speed within the downtown area. I’m more than happy to go to her aide.”

“No,” Maths stated. “You stay here, I’ll go.” Turning back to the darker alien, the younger man pleaded with him. “J’onn, please. No one knows the Calendians like I do and I’ll be better in case Maggie gets herself into a situation. _Another_ situation, as it were.”

The passion in the man’s pleas surprised the Martian, mostly because he still wasn’t sure what this young man’s relationship was to the rest of them. He had noted the familiarity he had within the halls of the organization and the almost casual way he seemed to treat everyone around him. Not for the first time, J’onn cursed the lack of mental perception, but even in this moment he could tell the man’s reaction was out of fear.

Fear for Maggie.

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this,” he grumbled, but he none the less nodded at the young man.

The man’s face, which had looked nearly broken before, now lit up in delight. Apparently so much, he couldn’t help but hug the director. “Thanks, Papa Bear!”

“I’ll assign Guttenberg to drive you…”

“No time!” the young man stated, quickly turning and making a run for the stairs.

“Mr. Maths!” J’onn shouted, watching as the man disappeared upstairs.

“Don’t worry, J’onn! I’ll get there on my own!”

The director couldn’t stop the growl that came from his throat, the very real possibility that he had just released an unknown combatant out into the field, without any backup, and no idea of what he could possibly do. “Do not worry, sir,” Brainy replied, once again facing his computer and pulling up an identical map to the first he had already been viewing.

“I managed to place a tracking emitter on Mr. Maths earlier today, in such an event. We should be able to keep a proverbial eye on him, should he try anything unsavory.”

“Good,” J’onn muttered. “What I’d like to know is how exactly he thinks he’s going to be able to catch up to Maggie faster than we can.”

“I am also equally curious,” the Coluan murmured, staring intently at his screen. From his knowledge of humans, Brainy knew there was no way Maths could run that fast and be able to catch up to the detective, who was already making her way towards the so-called industrial port of the city and even _she_ trailed behind the Calendians who led her on the chase.

And without any preconceived evidence of where she might be, the young stranger had not only taken off, but also seemed to be moving at a high rate of speed – higher than that of the detective and the aliens put together – which could only mean one thing:

Either Dan Maths had somehow taken one of the DEO’s reserved vehicles, had turned into a vehicle, or he was flying. And humans were not prone to doing that outside of a mode of transportation. None of the system alerts had gone off, so that crossed off the idea of Maths taking any of the DEO’s transports, which meant option two or three, and Brainy was pretty sure that option two wasn’t even a possibility, especially in this century.

Once again, the azure alien wondered just who or what Dan Maths really was.

 

* * *

 

Maths landed right outside the warehouse that Maggie had supposedly followed the Calendians to. Looking around, the young man made sure that no one was around to have seen him, and quickly removed the Legion ring he had placed on his finger. He had promised Mon-El he’d stay on the down-low and wouldn’t use the ring, but this was an emergency. He couldn’t just let the detective rush into something she wasn’t prepared for and certainly not by herself.

Maths was almost sure Brainy was going to have words with him when they returned; he knew the Coluan had to have suspected something by now, with his quick exit and then sudden appearance here, but again, this was an emergency and he could easily explain it once he got Maggie out of this predicament, hopefully with both Calendians in tow. Just as the detective had done before, Maths looked towards the warehouse, approaching it cautiously before reaching the door.

Turning the knob, he noted it wasn’t locked and he was able to walk in without issue. The building was dimly lit, which explained why his entrance hadn’t garnered more attention, and seemed to house various boxes and crates around the walls and floor. This seemed to a housing area for different materials and at any other time, Maths may have taken the time to check out the items, however he was here for one thing and one thing only.

Leaning on his own training, the young man looked down on the floor for any clues. He immediately noticed what looked like liquid, which he bent down to examine; there were several drops that seemed to be heading in a specific line and were metallic in color. Tapping his index finger into it, he quickly realized that this had to be the blood of one of the Calendians, noting its consistency after he had rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

Following the logic that the Latina would’ve also made the same deduction and would’ve followed the trail, Maths also headed in that direction, keeping both his eyes and ears open just in case he wasn’t as alone as he was led to believe. The trail continued until Maths seemed to reach the warehouse floor proper, where there were now stacks and racks of items that lined from floor to ceiling.

The area was also mildly populated with a slew of machines and other miscellaneous crates and cardboard. Behind a stack of ill arranged crates, Maths made out the color of leather and knew he had finally found Maggie, however by her form it was clear she was keeping watch on something or someone. Straining, the young man could hear murmurs – two of them were in a language he recognized as Calendian and the other clear English.

Looking around quickly, Maths was able to find a small rock that must have been brought in by regular foot traffic and threw it at the detective, hitting her in the hip and causing her to turn. Her eyes went wide upon seeing his form and he immediately placed a finger to his lips to signal her to stay quiet. Despite the surprise at seeing him there, Maggie wasn’t in a place to question the assist or to even inquire if there were more people coming. Her police training, already in high gear since the park, began to signal what was happening, pointing towards the opening in her hiding spot, and holding up four fingers.

Maths quickly nodded, indicating he understood her message – there were four suspects that she had in view, but he was too far away to see if all four were Calendians. Noting that he had heard an English speaking male, he had to come to the conclusion that there could be a mix. Crouching, he quietly made his way towards the detective, his eyes never leaving the opening of her hiding place. The closer he got, the better he could hear the conversation and see who was speaking. The two Calendians were there, one of them leaning against a conveyor belt and holding his arm; there were two humans there as well – one that seemed to be asking about the injury sustained and the other guarding the group, an automatic weapon – an AK if Maths’ vision was right – griped tightly in his hands.

“Thankfully,” the first human was saying. “You have a remarkable thick skin; the bullet only managed to hit the first, possibly second layer of skin. I can remove the bullet, of course, though I don’t think any of our medicine would actually work on you to lessen the pain.”

“We are Calendians,” the seated alien stated, his posture straightening as he spoke. “This is just a flesh wound.”

“It was not our intention of even coming here,” the second being replied. “However we were being pursued by what you humans pass for law enforcement.”

Maths watched as the detective bristle at the statement and used it as an excuse to move up next to her. “Making friends, I see?” he whispered. “And not nice ones.”

“Did you lead them here?” the second human, the one with the gun, asked. He looked around, trying to see if there indeed someone else in the building besides them. The man gave a cursory glance at the crates that were hiding both Maggie and Maths, causing the two to duck out of sight.

The standing Calendian chuckled. “We were being chased by a _human_ ,” he laughed. “And a female one at that. The odds of her following us are non-existent.”

“ _We_ are the superior beings here,” the seated alien said. “Calendians train to be warriors from the day we are birthed; no one can match us in form or combat.”

“Better watch what you say,” the armed guard grumbled. “You seem to forget you’re on _our_ turf and we’re just being friendly cause we need something from you. This ‘alliance’ is only to further the purpose of getting _rid_ of you…people.”

It was clear whatever ‘alliance’ was between this group was shaky at best, from the words of the armed gunman and the reaction it got from the two aliens. Both the detective and the time traveler looked at each other, a silent communication of interest with the overheard conversation.

The first human, the one who seemed to be a doctor or at least had some fairly decent medical knowledge, especially when dealing with aliens, immediately stood between the two combatants. “Gentlemen, gentlemen!” he cried. “Let’s not resort to violence, especially not when we’re supposed to be working together to achieve a mutual goal.”

“Our goals _ain’t_ mutual,” the gunman hissed, but he did back down.

“For the time being, they are,” the medic replied, holding a stern gaze with the armed gunman. “Besides, I highly doubt you’ll want to make either of _them_ angry for speaking out of turn with our guests.”

The armed guard took a step back, though it looked like he was reluctant to do so, and proceeded to go back to his previous activity of looking around the warehouse suspiciously.

“You’ll excuse him,” said the medic, addressing the two aliens. “As you know, this…partnership of ours is extremely beneficial to both sides, I assure you, it’s just that some of us get a little more…enthused than others.”

The Calendians just stared down at the man, causing him to nervously chuckle. “Anyway,” he continued, clearing his throat. “While superficial, I’ll still need to take that bullet out and I’m sure we don’t have anything large enough to do that. My office is only a few blocks from here…”

Both Maggie and Maths looked at each other in horror – they couldn’t afford to let anyone out of the warehouse at the moment, however there was no sign of any DEO agents to give them any backup should the quartet decide to leave or worse, attack. The younger man knew immediately he wouldn’t stand a chance against the group, at least not if he didn’t want to completely disrupt the future timeline, so he looked at the detective sternly.

“Gimme a gun,” he whispered.

For obvious reasons, Maggie looked at him as though he had suddenly grown four additional heads and seven arms, with none of them being in the places one would find four additional heads or seven arms. Her message, or rather the message Maths read in her facial features, was extremely clear – absolutely not. Leaning closer as to not be heard, he hissed, “We both know these guys are going to bolt before the DEO shows up and I can’t help you if I’m not armed.”

The Latina was not at all happy with even the _thought_ of allowing Maths a weapon; they still weren’t sure who he was or what his motives were and in her experience, a friend could turn foe on a dime. Playing sympathetic, she whispered, “If I give you my gun, then we’re right back where we started.”

“Then you should give me the second gun I know you carry.”

Maggie tried to school her features, but the surprise that registered was easily on display. Most officers, at least in National City, only carried one firearm as there was really no reason to hold more than that. When she was in Gotham, the story was a bit different, with some new recruits and newly minted officers keeping guns and/or knives on their person at all times – which of course made sense in the city they lived in where even a family of superheroes didn’t completely stop the rampant crime in the area. Being involved with the DEO and thus, with its assistant director, had quickly shown the detective that having an extra weapon was always good.

The fact that Maths was aware of that either meant she wasn’t doing a good job of concealing it or the unnerving way he was able to pull up information about them once again continued. Reluctant as she was to so do, Maggie none the less handed over her NCPD issued Glock 22 – the one she had used to shoot the seated alien earlier – before reaching behind her to remove a second gun. This one looked similar to a Ruger LC9, a small handheld automatic with a rounded curve at the end of the barrel; to the outside of observer, that’s exactly what they may have thought, but Maths was well aware that this was _not_ a NCPD issued weapon and could only be something given out by the DEO.

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask why in the world she hadn’t been using _that_ gun while out in the park, but instead the young man turned back to their suspects, who had been trying to dissuade any trips to the outside least they suddenly found themselves surrounded by the cops. This was as good as any time to surprise them, though the apprehension of the moment did give both pause before Maggie looked at the redhead and nodded.

Holding up three fingers between them, she counted down slowly from 3 to 1 before forming a fist, the signal to be ready after a countdown. As one, both Latina and stranger stood from their position, guns aimed at the group of four. “NCPD! Drop your weapon!”

As wanted, the duo’s sudden appearance threw the group off, but the gunman was able to shake off the surprise in order to get a few rounds off towards the two. Both immediately ducked, but Maths was quick to respond, firing off two shots that hit the gunman square in the chest, causing him to tumble backwards on to the floor. Maggie was able to hit the fleeing medic with a burst of what Maths knew to be electronic energy, which stunned the medic on impact, taking him down as well.

With both humans down, the stranger concentrated on the two Calendians, who this time decided to run instead of fight. Maths fired a few shots, one catching the second alien in his already injured arm, but the others missed their targets. Wanting to head after them, the young man began to do just that, but found his movements were stopped. “We gotta let them go,” Maggie replied, though she was frustrated to do so. “This is still a populated area and us firing in it could seriously hurt someone.”

“Or _they_ could seriously hurt someone,” spat Maths.

“They already did,” Maggie countered. “Or were you not watching the press conference this morning?” Sighing, the detective held out her hand for her gun, watching as her temporary partner handed it over reluctantly. “This isn’t the end,” she whispered. “They’re hurt, at least one of them is, so they’ll have to lay low for a bit. And it’s not all bad.” 

Replacing the second gun back in the waistband of her jeans, she kept her police issue in hand as she walked towards the two humans that lay on the ground. She nudged the first one with her foot, noting that he wasn’t moving at all, before kicking the semi-auto out of reach. It was clear he was dead, probably before he had even hit the ground, with two shots that most likely hit his heart. While she didn’t show it, the detective couldn’t help but be impressed; and even more suspicious of the young redhead behind her.

Moving towards the supposed medic, she nudged him with her foot as well, also noting that he didn’t move, but not because he was dead. The gun she had used – a birthday present from Alex – was only meant to incapacitate and stun, not kill, and unlike his friend, this man was just knocked out, his chest still rising when the detective turned him over. It was right about that time the two heard the doors to the warehouse slam open, allowing for more outside light to stream in.

A number of agents from the DEO, led by Agent Vasquez, all swarmed in, guns at the ready and immediately searching through the rest of the warehouse for any other occupants. “Mags, you alright?” the agent asked, as she came up towards the detective and Maths.

“Yeah,” Maggie said. Pointing at the humans on the ground, she continued with, “One dead, one stunned, and both Calendians ran out of here.”

“One’s wounded though,” Maths interjected, coming up behind the detective. “Both Maggie and I shot him, right arm or shoulder. They’re gonna need to seek medical help at some point.”

“Most likely from their mysterious benefactor,” the Latina murmured. “How’d things at the park?”

“Luckily, only minor injuries,” Vasquez reported. “Including Supergirl.” Maggie, she knew, would be pleased to hear the news, but the senior agent was surprised when both made slight sighs of relief at the information. “C’mon,” she said. “The others can handle and process everything here, I’ll get you back to base.” She turned and began to head out in the direction they had come in, with both detective and mysterious stranger following.

“Oh,” she said, giving a look to Maggie. “Agent Danvers arrived shortly after we were in route here.”

Maggie couldn’t help but grimace. “Is she mad?”

“Well, she’s not happy,” was Vasquez’s quip.

And not happy was right. Despite the tight hug the assistant director gave her fiancee as soon as the three walked down the stairs and towards the command center, Maggie could feel the tension that was coming off Alex in waves. She knew it wasn’t just about her going off after the two alien beings – though that was probably the crux of it – but having to drive up to Midvale to drop off Mattie.

While they had both agreed that getting him out of the city was the best idea for the time being, it didn’t mean they were happy about it, especially when they had to explain the reasons why. The young boy had a basic understanding of the reasons – he was the son of both a cop and a federal agent – and he knew leaving was to keep him safe. The small family tried to look at the bright side of things; while the boy had met Eliza Danvers, he had yet to visit the hometown of his mother and aunt, so he had been excited for that as they got ready to leave on Sunday. And it wasn’t as though he would be gone forever, a couple of days or a week at most.

Alex and Maggie had thought, as the adults, they’d handle the situation much better than their five year old son, yet the moment the brunette detective had to say goodbye, she found herself having to hold back tears. Other than his kidnapping, this was the first actual instance in which she and Mattie had ever been truly away from each other for an extended period of time and Maggie was surprised at just how emotional she felt.

The former at least had the advantage of enjoying the boy’s company on the way up to Midvale and had even been persuaded to stay the night by multiple parties, but like her fiancée, Alex found that saying goodbye was harder now because _she’d_ be the one leaving. She too had managed to hide away her emotions, at least until she got into the black SUV and drove off, finding herself wiping away a few tears as she drove down the driveway and on to the street proper.

Just as she had managed to calm herself down with the knowledge that this was only a temporary solution and she’d see her son in a few days, Alex turned on communications from the DEO, a quick check in to let J’onn know she was on her way. She had been traveling through the halfway mark when she heard Maggie’s call go out about Supergirl being down and that she was going after the perpetrators. How the agent had made it back without being pulled over or worse, getting into an accident, was amazing.

Pulling out from the hug, Alex gave her fiancée a quick sweep with her doctor eyes, grateful that she couldn’t see anything immediately wrong and the detective had walked in without any pain, which was a miracle in itself. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Apart from my calves needing all the ice in the world,” Maggie joked. “I’m okay, babe.”

“Good,” the agent sighed, in relief. “Good. Now that that’s out of the way, are you completely out of your mind!? What were you thinking, Mags? Do you have any idea how dangerous it was to go after those things!? Why didn’t you wait for backup?”

It would only take seconds before Alex would realize just how hypocritical her questions were. Alex Danvers had been, and in some cases still was, the poster child for lone wolf behavior and tendencies. She had often gone off to investigate someone or something on her own and in many cases, it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle, though the fact that the DEO had the ability to track all of their agents was in no small part thanks to her rather reckless actions.

That was the only reason Maggie hadn’t snapped back a remark. She knew the words were said out of fear – Alex’s morning had been just a triple threat of worry. It didn’t escape the detective’s gaze that Supergirl was no where to be seen within the group of agents milling about on the first floor, which meant she was either on a sun bed or in the actual medical bay. It was bad enough the agent had to leave their son in another city for the time being, but hearing the news that her sister was down and her fiancée had gone running off after two dangerous aliens had not made her drive back to National City any more pleasant.

“I’m fine, Ally,” the Latina whispered, giving the agent a squeeze around the middle. “I didn’t engage anyone until it looked like our suspects were getting away and even then, I let them cause I knew we didn’t have the fire power to take them both down. And I did, technically, have backup.”

“Who?”

Throwing a thumb over her shoulder, Maggie indicated the redhead that stood off to her side. Maths gave a small wave as Alex turned to look at him.

“How did you get out?” she asked, surprised that he had not only managed to get out of his cell, but was even allowed off the first floor.

“I used a spoon to tunnel my way through my cell and out to freedom,” came the retort. “I even used a Rita Hayworth poster to cover my escape. No one suspected!”

“That was my doing, Alex.”

J’onn approached the group, having allowed the couple a moment of connection before addressing the trio. “It was my call, though I admit it was based on reasons given by Mr. Maths. We needed to get people to the park to assist in any way and we needed to track Detective Sawyer’s location before we could make a move.” The Martian gave the younger man a look. “Turns out, he was able to get there before anyone else.”

“Thank you so much for your help, Stan,” Maths replied, before realizing he’d called himself by the wrong name. “Dan. I mean Dan, which is my name. Couldn’t have done it without you. Yay team!”

The young redhead looked at the others, hoping to get the reaction he wanted, but was sorely disappointed by their unamused glares. “I’m gonna go back to my cell,” he said, motioning to the path behind him. “Take a nap, recharge, do…Imma go.” Maths backed away before turning completely and heading towards his cell, before Maggie’s next words caused him to pivot back around.

“Thanks for the assist.”

The younger man smiled, brightly, to the point you would’ve thought it was Christmas morning. “Anytime,” he said, heading back towards the containment cells.

“I’m gonna go check on Kara,” Alex replied. “Come with me?” Maggie nodded, turning as her fiancée did and headed down the hall, leading them down to the medical area of the building. The two walked down the hall in companionable silence before the detective grabbed the agent’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“How is she?”

“Fine,” the assistant director murmured. “Thankfully. I was seriously considering sending her back out just to find you when Vos called in that they’d gotten to the warehouse and you were okay.”

“But you had to see for yourself?” joked the Latina.

“Seeing is believing sometimes.”

Maggie chuckled. “You and Mattie make it up to your mom’s okay?”

Alex nodded. “I managed to keep it together until I rolled out of the driveway,” she chuckled. “If sending that kid to stay a few days with my mother is nerve wracking, we are going to lose it when he starts kindergarten later this year.”

“True that.”

“I can’t believe J’onn would send Maths out to help you,” the agent said, changing to the subject that was on her mind and shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m actually a little shocked that he’s allowing him to just stroll up and down the halls in the first place.”

“It wasn’t all bad,” Maggie defended. “Actually…”

Alex must have heard something in her voice or seen something in her face as she made the statement, because she pulled both of them to a stop, only a few feet from the med bay entrance. “What?” she asked. “What happened?”

Maggie shook her head. “Nothing happened, per se,” she said. “Just…” At Alex’s imploring look, the detective sighed and thought her words through. “There’s more to that kid than we know.”

“Obviously.”

“No, I mean…” the detective began, then stopped. “He has training in something.”

“Like what?” asked the agent.

“I don’t know,” Maggie admitted. “But it’s something because he understood all of my non-verbal commands when I gave them. Not a lot of civilians, if any, do. And then there was his stance.”

“His stance?”

Maggie nodded. “For the situation,” she began. “We needed two guns, so I handed mine over. I know, it was a risky move, but at the time it was a good solution. Anyway, I don’t know, I guess I imagined that he wouldn’t know how to use a gun or he’d been taught by someone, but…look. When a civilian holds and shoots a gun, they have a particular stance – legs slightly apart, gun pointed straight ahead, right?”

“Right.”

“Military, federal agents, and law enforcement have a different stance, you know that,” the detective continued. “And most departments follow the same standard, however there are deviations specifically based on a particular city, state, or even country. Gotham PD loves the fight, which makes sense cause their officers are usually taking on some of the worst criminals in the state. I remember my father’s department used the Isosceles as the standard, I think most small town cities do, and it's the one we usually teach citizens.

“Here’s the thing,” Maggie went on. “I watched Maths, he stood right next to me and he was using the Weaver.”

“Okay,” Alex shrugged. “A lot of police departments use that stance, you told me that yourself.”

“Yeah, I did,” the detective conceded. “But like I said, every department puts a variation on theirs and this was a definite variation. And not something you just learn to do over the Internet.”

“Well,” Alex began, a confused look on her face. She wasn’t quite sure where Maggie was going with this, especially when she was normally very direct in her speech. “Remember, he did say his mother was a cop. Maybe he learned it from her.”

“Sure, sure,” Maggie nodded. “But here’s where it gets crazy. I’ve seen that stance before because _I_ use that stance. Everyone on my team uses that stance. That stance is specific to _our_ police department.”

 

* * *

 

_Trevor Alan Grossman was born to Alan and Grace Grossman on March 4 th, twenty-five years ago. Even as a child, Trevor had dreams of being in public service. His father had been a speech writer for a number of the elected officials in the city and had even gotten as high as a former US senator. Trevor had found the government process fascinating – the way bills and laws were created, how the voting process worked, the workings behind the scene, etc._

_Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Trevor had run and gained small seats in school elections, achieving the position of student body vice president and president in both junior high and high school, even leading his university’s_ Get Out the Vote _demonstrations. When he began to volunteer for former senator Rand John Davis, who had been running against then relatively unknown Olivia Marsdin, Trevor was moving his way up the political ladder._

_Nowadays, he was known as the staff aide to Governor Peter Marks, the right hand man, even more than the current Chief of Staff. That was actually the position Trevor hoped to go for; as a staff aide, he knew how to be where the action was or in his case, where the gossip was. For a government office, Trevor was surprised as just how many people didn’t actually follow in the governor’s rhetoric._

_The Chief of Staff, John Beck, for instance seemed to have incredible leftist leanings, so Trevor decided to investigate. Imagine his surprise when he followed the man one Thursday night to a hidden away club near downtown and watched as the man met up with a light brown-skinned man of tall statue, a few inches taller than Beck himself. The scene wouldn’t have been such a taboo if not for the fact that the other man had two small antennas on his forehead, about ten inches apart._

_If word got out that the governor – who was a staunch opponent of the alien population in the state, especially in National City – had a chief of staff that was not only gay, but apparently gay for dangerous aliens, the politician would be a laughing stock, as would everyone in his cabinet. Trevor, who had always been an ambitious go getter, had sent a coded text to Beck the next day, asking to meet him later that night._

_That night, under the city bridge, Trevor confronted the man, telling him that he knew about his hook-up, lover, boyfriend, or whoever the young brown-skinned man was to him, the relationship didn’t matter. What_ did _matter, however, was the fact that Beck could kiss his career goodbye if he didn’t make plans to vacate the governor’s office and his position when the time came. Because if he didn’t, the governor wouldn’t be the only one who would know about this._

_Beck, who was trying to get custody of a daughter he hadn’t even known he’d had until a few years ago, knew this could potentially ruin his life. He hadn’t joined the governor’s campaign or office because he believed in the man; he joined it for the job and he had every intention of leaving, especially when he had heard that President Marsdin was looking for replacements in her own cabinet after passing the Alien Amnesty Act._

_But then the Graves siblings had released a video showing the woman was actually an alien and the climate in the city, state, and world completely turned._

_Trevor hadn’t thought he was a blackmailer, but after he had bought Beck’s position and the opportunity to fill it whenever he decided it was time, he realized he enjoyed it. And it only served to join his already seedy compulsions._

_Somewhere in college, junior or senior year he couldn’t remember, he had made some bets on games and had a lot of luck with it. Maybe too much luck because it made him cocky and overconfident and before he knew it, he owed nearly $15,000 to a bookie before he even graduated. Getting a position in government, along with the government pay, helped him pay off that debt, but it also helped him get into_ more _debt._

 _It was something he had tried to hide from his family, but ultimately, his sister discovered one of his bets and for the past two years, his family had been not-so-subtly trying to give him an intervention, despite him telling them that he wasn’t gambling anymore and hadn’t been. That was, of course, a lie; he hadn’t been gambling with_ human _bookies._

 _The good thing about a growing and apparently, lively alien community was that most people didn’t want to ‘slum it’ with anyone associated and that meant that Trevor could make his bets and lose his money without the possibility of family or police intervention. However, that also meant that the aliens he_ did _deal with had no qualms about beating money out of him. Over two years, Trevor had called out of work for a number of ‘medical illness’ reasons – the flu, strep, pink eye, death in the family – thankfully, most of his work he could do at home, so while he wasn’t in the office, he was still getting work done._

_The more he worked, the more he got paid, and the more he got paid, the more he gambled, and the more he gambled, the more he got into debt and trouble._

_But he never imagined the situation he would find himself now._

_It all started when he lost a huge amount at the track. Delton’v, his bookie, had given him exactly twelve hours to pay up or he was going to be visited by people who would personally take the money out of his hide. Trevor knew that was code for getting his ass kicked and unfortunately, he didn’t have nearly as much money as he lost._

_He was headed back home, taking a much longer and different route just to throw anyone off his track. It apparently didn’t work because someone seemed to be not only following him, but was already waiting at his apartment building. He was a middle aged man, maybe the same age as his own father would’ve been had the heart attack not killed him, with a shaved head and a black goatee._

_“Mr. Grossman,” he replied, watching as the younger man approached, cautiously, looking around him for an escape. “We’d like to discuss a few things with you, if you don’t mind.”_

_“Look,” Trevor stammered. “I…I…told Delton’v that I’d get his money, but it’s gotta be more than twelve hours, see?”_

_The bald man shook his head, then looked past the man towards the street behind them. Turning, the aide saw a black sedan drive up behind him, complete with tinted windows. “Please get in the car,” the bald man replied, causing Trevor to jump suddenly in surprise._

_“Please…” he pleaded. “Please, mister, I will get the money. I promise Delton’v will get his money…”_

_“Just get in the car, Mr. Grossman. Everything will be explained.” The bald headed man walked around the man, opening the passenger and gesturing inside. “Please.”_

_Trevor had known he was in trouble then, even when he got into the car and the bald man followed him inside, closing the door behind them. The aide knew this might be it; he was in an unmarked car and be driven to who knew where. “Mister, please let me at least call my family,” he whispered, fear lacing his voice._

_The bald man took a deep breath before looking at the young man. “Relax, Mr. Grossman,” he replied, calmly. “I’m not who you apparently think I am. My name is Hennessy, no mister, no nothing. I’ve been watching you – I know you’re well over a hundred thousand dollars in debt. I doubt gambling addiction looks well on a political resume.”_

_Trevor’s face paled. Until now, he thought he’d been able to keep his…habits under wraps, aside from his sister finding out and thankfully, he was able to change the narrative between him and his family. The younger man tried to look out the window, looking for any landmarks that would tell him where they were or where they might be going._

_“I know you’re scared, Mr. Grossman,” Hennessy replied, watching the man look out the window before turning back to him. “Please don’t worry. I don’t work for whoever you owe money to; I actually work for an organization that’s devoted to protecting the interests of our race, the human race.”_

_The aide looked at him in confusion. “I don’t understand,” he whispered. “If you’re not…you’re not with Delton’v’s boys?”_

_“I don’t even know who that is, Mr. Grossman,” Hennessy replied. “However, I think the people I work for can help you with your situation. And all you need to do is help_ us _help this city.”_

_“Who…who exactly do you work for?”_

_Hennessy smiled at him. “Have you ever heard of the organization called Cadmus?”_

 

* * *

 

_Wednesday night was the monthly town council meeting and Gov. Marks was cited to be there. Marks usually never went to these meetings, but Trevor had managed to talk the governor into going, if only to meet with two aliens. For obvious reasons, Marks had not been happy about the plan – he ran on a pro-human platform and if anyone saw him with aliens, they would think otherwise. However, Trevor held an ace up his sleeve._

_A few days ago, on the verge of being beaten or worse, killed, for his gambling debt, the young aide had been met with a former member of the Children of Liberty. The terrorist group had besieged National City for months a few short years ago, bringing to front the underlying discord that was felt between humans and aliens, not just in the city, but in the entire country. Coming on the heels of the former president being outed as an alien herself, the group had targeted aliens, their groups, their friends, and their families, rousing up support for both sides of the argument._

_After the group’s leader had been brought down and the group assumedly disbanded, many of their members drifted back into their own worlds or society; others, like the man known as Hennessy, had joined far bigger and better groups. Groups such as Cadmus, the underground operative organization that was committed to repelling alien life on Earth at any and all costs. The group was led by one Lillian Luthor, the mother of convicted murderer Lex Luthor and current CEO of L-Corp Lena Luthor._

_The elder woman firmly believed that the human way of life was being desecrated by the overwhelming alien presence that made up National City, the US, and the world at large. It was this belief that fueled her actions and thoughts and what would ultimately put her in prison twice. The fact that she was able to get out and move freely once more was a testament to her own wealth and family lawyer, along with personal and professional friendships born during her tenure on the former Luthor Corp board._

_As such, the business meeting between her and Trevor Grossman was just that – business. Lillian held no assumptions about which way the young man saw the world, however she knew without a doubt that his gambling would soon not only be the death of his rising career, but of his very life, something which Trevor highly and sheepishly admitted was most likely true. So Luthor gave him a unique proposition – Gov Marks was a man of his word and someone who could benefit from the Luthor name and resources._

_The plan was simple – Lillian had once caused a fervor between the humans and aliens in the city and while the Graves siblings and even Agent Liberty managed to do that and more, their methods were sloppy and ultimately led to their downfall; but the elder leader had a better plan. Causing strife wasn’t enough; with Marsdin being outed as an alien, it was now clear to the public that aliens were among them, even in the highest of positions._

_She said as much to Marks when they finally met, after Trevor had set up a meeting between the two. And Lillian didn’t leave anything to chance either; she told Marks_ everything _– how the office of president wasn’t the only position that was being held by an alien. The secretive government organization known as the Department of Extranormal Operations, or DEO, was headed by an alien and its assistant director was even related to **several** aliens. The NCPD worked and protected aliens and there was even a hidden alien bar in which they gathered to drink and plan._

_Marks had been shocked and angered; all of this taking place under his nose and until now, no one had told him. Lillian even knew that many of his staff weren’t even siding with him on his anti-alien policies. Trevor had then nodded, saying that he had heard that one of his staff may even be dating an alien. Sufficient to say, Marks had immediately jumped on board whatever plan Cadmus had._

_And that was how Trevor found himself in the parking garage, with the governor, speaking to two very large and very angry aliens on Wednesday night. It seemed strange, even after he heard the plan, to engage with aliens in order to create a big enough discord between aliens and humans, but these aliens seemed more than willing and happy to destroy the city and its people if they could get what they wanted. It was then the young man realized what this all meant –_

_War._

_They were planning on starting a war._

_True, a city at war was probably nothing in terms of anything big, but for some reason Trevor couldn’t stop thinking about the Civil War, the very war that managed to nearly tear the United States apart. All it took were differing opinions and the refusal to see things any other way than how they were; that war set in motion decades of racism against black Americans before settling into a disregard for anyone that didn’t fit the standard mold people had been used to or wanted._

_It was a process that started with the native peoples of the country and now extended to those who came to Earth for a better life._

_This…wasn’t what Trevor wanted. He had just wanted to take care of his gambling debts so he wouldn’t get beaten to death and it had seemingly spiraled into a forged pact between humans and aliens to start a war within their own city, state, country, and possibly even the planet itself. That night changed everything for Trevor Grossman. Later, a video of him, the governor, and the two aliens would be uploaded onto YouTube before being broadcasted through the media._

_That video would start a series of events that the young man never saw happening._

_And he never would._

 

* * *

 

It was well after lunch, nearly towards the latter part of the day when Dan Turpin met up with his partner and leader, Maggie Sawyer. He had spent the morning going over his notes and then responding to the aftermath of that morning’s press conference. Thankfully, there were more injuries than actual deaths, though the fact that Supergirl was led away didn’t bold well on anyone’s mind.

All morning and afternoon, the news media was replaying the event, updating the story as it went. So far, there had been several injuries – at least fifteen, including seven officers – and there was still no word on whether or not the aliens that had attacked were captured. Dan took note that Maggie had gone after the aliens shortly after Supergirl had done down, but he hadn’t seen or heard anything after that. Pushing down the worry that she might be in trouble, after all the FBI seemed to get there straight away, he instead went to meet with his contact.

That had ended about thirty minutes ago, right about the time Maggie had texted him to meet him somewhere. Earlier in the day, he had been curious about what she needed to see him about, however after meeting with his contact, he was more than a little apprehensive about seeing her. His contact had revealed a lot of things that Dan hadn’t known and a lot of it implicated Maggie, her fiancée, and her sister-in-law.

She had texted him an address he had never been to before, which was odd as he had thought he’d seen just about every part of National City, but this little alleyway she directed him to was something he hadn’t even noticed. He ended having to park his patrol car on the street, across the street to be precise, before making his way through the deserted area and coming across Maggie’s familiar Triumph parked inside the alleyway.

“I hope this isn’t gonna be a cheap date,” he quipped, coming up to her. She was standing on the opposite wall from a large blue trash can, obviously waiting for him, leaning against the bricks. Smirking, she pushed herself off and walked to meet him.

“Sorry Danny Boy,” she laughed. “But you know all of my expenses go to that gorgeous girl of mine.”

“Redheads,” he sighed, joining her as they walked towards a metal door that was clearly being kept out of sight. “Always get the best deals. Where exactly have you taken me?”

“A place,” she replied, rapping on the door. A small panel opened from the single slot and Maggie murmured something that sounded like ‘Bee Gees’ before the panel closed and the door opened. Dan let the lieutenant lead the way, passing by an apparent bouncer who was sitting by the door. This ‘place’ was clearly a dive bar, complete with ambient dark lighting, a few pool tables, regular tables, and a bar at the far end.

Given the day of time, Dan was actually a little surprised that there was even five people in the place, not counting the bartender or them. Maggie led them towards one of the back booths, giving a wave to the bartender on duty for apparent drinks before taking a seat, with Dan following. The bartender delivered their drinks personally, two Blue Moons, before nodding at the senior detective.

“Argus is looking for you,” he replied.

“Oh yeah?”

“You might catch him later this week. He’s usually here on Wednesdays and Thursdays.”

“Cool,” Maggie said. “Thanks, Grizz.”

“Not a problem.” With drinks and apparent message delivered, the bartender returned to his duties behind the bar.

Looking around, Dan smirked. “Obviously, you didn’t just pick this place randomly.”

“No,” she said, chuckling. “I didn’t.” She took a pull of her beer, watching as Dan copied her, before the two settled into a comfortable silence. “You’re probably wondering why I wanted to meet with you.”

Looking at her, the man grinned. “I think I have fairly good idea,” he responded. “You know what I did this weekend? Or rather, what I learned this weekend and then got knee deep into today?”

“I’m guessing that missing governor’s aide case,” she said, a curious look on her face. “Or that guy from Plastino.”

“Well, curiously,” he said. “Your sister-in-law or future sister-in-law called me Saturday to tell me that she was currently standing in the middle of another crime scene. This time for one Lucky Spencer.”

“Lucky Spencer?”

Dan nodded, though he gave her a look of his own. “Never heard of him?” he asked, though it was less of a question and more of a statement. “So you remember how I said I thought these cases, Grossman and Peters, were connected, yeah?” Maggie nodded. “So I still think that and I think, that this Spencer case might be connected too and you know _why_ I think that?” The detective shook her head slowly.

Dan leaned into her, staring his captain, his partner, and he thought, his friend, directly in the eye. “Cause Kara Danvers is connected to two of these cases.” Maggie looked equal parts amused and confused, almost as though she thought Dan was making a joke of some sort.

“I gotta know, Mags,” he whispered. “Are you covering for her?”

“What?”

“Danvers,” he clarified. “You don’t think it’s weird she just happens to show up on two different crime scenes in less than a week?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say that, no, it wasn’t weird, but then again, she knew Kara Danvers' secret identity. Instead, she went with, “You do know she’s a reporter, right?”

“Yeah,” Dan said. “And Jessica Fletcher was just a run of the mill mystery writer. And yet, much like Danvers, she seemed to stumble upon things that a normal human wouldn’t.”

“Not sure I’m liking what you’re insinuating, Dan,” the Latina said. “I invited you here cause I thought you’d like a little more info on the cases you’re working on.”

Leaning back into his seat, Dan picked up his beer and tipped it at her. “By all means.”

Maggie gave him a slight look. This wasn’t going like she thought it would and the accusation Dan was throwing at her had nearly derailed the whole point in coming here. “You’re right,” she said. “About these cases being linked somehow. We aren’t sure how, but we’re thinking along the same lines. Especially when there might be a new player in town.” The junior detective just looked at her.

“You ever hear of an organization calling themselves Cadmus?”

“Secret government agency that’s out to destroy any and all alien life?” he asked, frowning at her. “Goes around abducting aliens? Cracking down to drive them out of the city, the country, and the world? Yeah. I just heard about them earlier today, as a matter of fact. Funny, too cause it seems like this whole video nonsense has gotten everyone up in a frenzy and that little ‘disturbance’ at Marks’ conference today only puffs up more smoke, you know?”

“Dan…”

“Are you working with them?”

“What!?”

Leaning back across the table, the brunette stared down his partner. “You got everyone fooled, don’t you?” he asked. “Is that why you’re so ‘invested’ in the alien community here?”

“Danny, you better watch what you say to me right now,” the Latina growled. “Because I know you aren’t asking _me_ if I work for Cadmus?”

“You sit there, looking me in the eye, pretending that you have no idea what I’m talking about when I bring up that ‘reporter’ in-law of yours,” he continued. “I mean, c’mon Maggie. You can’t even call them by their actual name – the DEO.”

Maggie sat back against the booth seat as though she had been slapped. Is that where this was coming from? Did Dan actually think Cadmus was anything like the DEO?

“Listen to me, Turpin,” she said, leaning closer. “Wherever or whoever you got your info from, it’s completely _wrong_. The DEO is _nothing_ like Cadmus.”

Despite trying to keep their conversation between the two of them, the detectives’ voices had begun to carry and thankfully, they were only truly disturbing two of the current patrons, but they both gave the officers glares.

Both detectives looked at each other before leaning back in their seats and taking long pulls on their beers. Maggie finished first, placing the bottle back on the table. “I need to be able to trust you, Dan,” she murmured, tilting her head slightly.

“I could ask the same of you,” Dan countered.

They continued to stare at each other, neither really wanted to look away.

“Can I trust you?

“You always could. You still can.”

Maggie nodded. “Danny, I brought you down here to tell you some things,” she whispered. “But I think I should start with this - I have _always_ been on the side of the aliens in this city, well before I ever adopted my son. No amount of _any_ affiliation would ever change that.”

The former Metropolis cop looked at her. “I got a couple of questions,” he said.

“Figured you would.”

“First things first,” he said. “Do you work for the DEO?”

Maggie only hesitated for a moment. “Technically, no,” she said, chuckling at the look that Dan gave her. “Apparently, I’m still the liaison between the NCPD and the DEO, something Alex neglected to rescind after we broke up.”

“Well seeing as you’re engaged to be married,” Dan retorted. “I have to imagine that you’re probably _still_ the liaison.”

Maggie laughed at that. “Most likely.”

Dan’s eyes widen slightly. “Alex is DEO, isn’t she?” he asked, watching as Maggie nodded. “That actually does make a lot of sense. So, I’m guessing Kara is too?”

“No,” Maggie said, though internally she winced. Technically, _Kara Danvers_ didn’t work for the DEO...

“And…Cadmus and the DEO…?”

“Are two different organizations,” the detective assured him. “Though…full disclosure, there was a time the DEO was more like Cadmus than what it is now.”

“That sounds like a story,” Dan said. “But you were gonna tell me about this Cadmus place.”

“Right,” she replied. “I'll try to get to the meat and potatoes of it, but there's an obvious reason why I thought you needed to know because I think, _we_ think, there’s a reasonable chance they might be behind what’s happening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The 3 Shooting Stances: Which One's Right for You?](https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/training/articles/7981637-The-3-shooting-stances-Which-ones-right-for-you/)


	9. Chapter VIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena gets an unexpected visit, while Kara has a talk with Maths about fixed points. Alex and Maggie go see some aliens, while Gov Marks deals with the conference aftermath and sets in motion things to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first two sections take place on the same Monday from last chapter, while the third section moves forward in time.

Monday morning had been a flurry of activity within the city, thanks in part to what happened during the Governor Marks press conference. By the time evening had rolled around, reports had confirmed that there had been several injuries and the alien perpetrators were still at large. This of course did nothing to ease the tensions between humans and aliens, especially after Marks made a formal statement on the incident, stating, “This is the very reason we need to be defending ourselves and our home. The sooner we rid our great nation of these alien threats, the better our defenses will be.”

Lena Luthor listened to the repeating reports while working in her office that day, just something to keep in the background while she tried to figure out how to best salvage the situation. Thanks to L-Corp technology, aliens who were unable to hide themselves as aliens could now pass as humans, thus being able to contribute to society and build up their new lives. Unfortunately, groups like the Children of Liberty and politicians like Marks made those possibilities hard.

Lena didn’t want to think about where her mother’s organization, Cadmus, fit within this current discord, especially when there was a distinct possibility that the Graves and Agent Liberty had taken their direction from the former group.

Since her mother had been arrested and was serving several sentences in prison, Lena had been breathing a little easier, even with her weekly visits for chess. Her previous research with aiding humans and putting them on equal footing with the aliens and metahumans that lived in the city had taken most of her focus and to be honest, Lena didn’t really want to add to the growing discontent her mother loved to sow. It wasn’t that Lena didn’t like or even appreciate the alien community – one of her best friends was an alien, after all – but she also felt and saw how hopeless humans sometimes felt when being faced with a hostile alien.

She was lucky – she had the name, tools, and money to protect herself and anyone with her, but most people didn’t.

And while her intentions had come from a good place, the end result had given the Children of Liberty the very thing they had been citing about – the technology and equipment to protect humans. The problem with this was that every alien that a human encountered was a threat, even when the alien was doing nothing more than just walking down the street. Worse, in her own experiments, she had ended up injuring and killing her test subjects – her very _human_ and alive subjects.

To say it didn’t go well was a gross understatement.

It was a hard blow to the CEO and philanthropist; she had stepped over a lot of lines and had blurred others. The rift that had started between her and Supergirl seemed to deepen, which impacted her friendship with the super’s alter ego, which of course only made things worse when Lena finally learned the truth. And to discover that everyone around her had known well before she had, was an uncomfortable pill to swallow.

Thankfully, most of that time period was behind her. Lena was nothing if not a constant learner and she prided herself on learning from her mistakes. She still thought humans needed to protect themselves against hostile aliens, especially in the case when Supergirl or Guardian or Superman were no where in sight to help them, but experience had taught her that she couldn’t just create something that could be used to hurt non-lethal aliens.

Tonight however, Lena was working in her office as CEO of L-Corp and media owner of CatCo. Financial reports were stacked neatly on her desk, while a few stock market analysis graphs were being updated on her tablet; Lena herself was looking at something on her desktop, while her green eyes would glance every few minutes towards her phone.

She and James were supposed to have gotten dinner about an hour ago, but with the events of the governor’s conference, the acting CEO of CatCo was working late, just like her. The two had been trading text messages for half an hour, some comical, some romantic; she had even gotten a funny selfie from Kara, standing in front of James’ office and biting her nails in fright. She had captioned the image with, _Is he in a good mood, you think?_

Sometimes she couldn’t believe she had gotten to this point in her life – her name alone had kept her from having many friends in her childhood, then with her brother’s mad tendencies and her mother’s cold, calculating revenge tactics, most people didn’t want to associate with her merely because her last name was Luthor. To be able to get the random visit from either Kara or James, to be invited to their game nights, to just be able to hang around people who knew who _she_ was – Lena, an ambitious business woman who was trying to make a difference in a world that tended to shy away from it.

Even with her missteps, the CEO didn’t look back; yes, there were things she wished she had done differently, things she should’ve said or shouldn’t have said, but as with everything else, those missteps brought her to this point and helped to hopefully shape her into a better person than her last name dictated.

She was in the middle of replying to James’ recent text when she felt a presence enter her office. “Don’t say a word,” she said, not looking up from her phone. “I swear I’m going to finish looking these over and then I will leave and you had better be behind me, Eve, cause you…”

Hitting ‘send’, Lena looked up, expecting to see Eve Teschmacher, her fellow scientist in crime and probably the nicest and most intelligent person she had ever met. Eve had been a former employee at CatCo and due to her diligence and knowledge, Lena had tasked the bubbly blonde to help her in with Samantha Arias and again in the aftermath of Reign. Eve had quickly become her most competent assistant and most importantly, most trusted friend.

However, the person who filled her eyesight was not Eve, but the person she didn’t think she’d ever see in this office ever again or at least, not for many, many years.

“Hello, dear. Surprised to see?”

“That would be quite the understatement,” Lena muttered, putting her phone back down on her desk, and staring at the woman before her.

Despite spending two years in a federal prison, Lillian Luthor didn’t look the worse for wear; in fact, to look at her – dressed in a modest gray pant suit, with black heels, and her slightly graying brown hair done up in her signature bun – one might be forgiven to believe she had just been at a retreat or on a lengthy business trip.

The problem of course is that Lillian Luthor _should_ have been in a solid grey jumpsuit and behind bars, yet here she was, standing in the office of her adopted, step-daughter.

“You stopped coming to see me,” Lillian replied, taking a few more steps forward until she reached the edge of the desk.

“I had a lot going on,” said Lena, her posture still remaining calm and poised, even when she knew her mother was attempting to intimidate her. Internally, she was screaming in anger, terror, and confusion; what was she doing here? How did she get out? What did she want?

“Oh, I heard,” the elder Luthor said, giving the other woman a smile. “You’ve been very busy as of late.”

“Can I help with something, Mother?”

“No hello? No ‘how are you, Mother dear?’” Lillian questioned. “You’ve gotten rude in your latter years. Though knowing who you’ve surrounded yourself with, I guess it’s not that surprising.”

“Should I be expecting the NCPD to burst in here?” the raven haired woman countered. In fact, she rather hoped that would happen, to the point where she made glances towards her office door in hopes that Maggie or Alex or Supergirl would be barging in at any moment.

“I haven’t escaped, if that’s what you’re asking,” Lillian said. “I made a rather good deal when you had me arrested and I was a model prisoner, so this release is well within our antiquated legal system.” She looked her daughter over, noting that leadership seemed to go well with her, despite some of her more dubious investments. “You’re looking well.”

“You haven’t answered my question,” Lena persisted. “Why are you here, Mother? What do you want?”

“Do I truly need a reason to visit my daughter?”

“Yes, actually,” Lena answered. “Because you hardly ever visit for a friendly chat.”

Though she didn’t show it, that statement _stung_. Lillian hadn’t lied when Lena had been visiting her in prison – she really _did_ want to cultivate a better relationship between them. This division between them hurt in the long term and whether Lena believed it or not, everything Lillian had done and would continue to do was to protect her and Lex. She had watched her baby boy be destroyed by one alien and was watching as her daughter was being led astray by another; the reveal of the former president being an alien was just the start of something she had seen coming for years.

“How long are you going to blame me for my past mistakes?” the elder woman asked, sadly. “I know I haven’t treated you as fairly as your brother and I’m sorry. Especially if that’s the reason for your…questionable friendships.”

“You mean with Supergirl,” Lena said, smirking. “It almost sounds as though you might be jealous. Is that it? Is that your actual problem with her?”

“My _problem_ with her, Lena,” Lillian stressed, keeping her emotions in check, though a slip of anger and frustration came through. “Is that this is exactly the same thing Lex -”

“In case you’ve forgotten,” the CEO interrupted. “Because you do tend to do that, I am not Lex. I never have been and never will be, something you so frequently liked to remind me of. And surprising as this might be, Supergirl is not Superman. Whatever happened between Lex and Superman hasn’t happened between me and his cousin.”

“Not yet, anyways,” the elder replied. “You’ve always been smart, Lena, and I know you aren’t blind to what’s happening. Now is the time to really think about what your friendships truly mean and if they are truly worth the writing on the wall.”

Lena gave her mother a look. “What have you done?” she asked.

“Nothing that would be of interest to you, I’m sure.”

“Mother…”

Lillian turned to leave, but stopped after taking a few steps and turned back to her daughter. “I have always done what I thought was best to protect my children,” she whispered. “And regards of how you feel about me and where your loyalties lie at the moment, I will continue to do what I must in order to keep you and your brother safe. I will never apologize for that nor regret it. I just hope you will see my side of things before the end.”

With that, the elder woman fully turned and left the way she had come, leaving Lena with the same confusion and apprehension she usually had after seeing her mother.

She immediately reached for her phone. Trouble was coming, she just knew it.

 

* * *

 

Despite only needing less than an hour of recovery time, Supergirl had essentially been benched by her doctor of a sister. Thankfully, the city wasn’t in complete disarray after the conference earlier and it did give her a chance to pitch a column piece to James; she had even contacted Nia Nal, her reporting mentee, about maybe doing the piece together as a collaboration.

James thought the idea – a review on what happened at the conference, but also the dangers of letting the actions of certain people, or aliens, dictate the valor and worth of others – was great, especially if it was paired with a piece by Nia. Kara’s junior reporter had been just as eager as the blonde had once been, the idea of working and writing for a major news organization exciting and scary and new and like Kara, Nia had learned to come into her own.

What most people didn’t know was that Nia Nal was actually Dreamer, the budding superhero was had been a really big help to both Kara and Supergirl during the Children of Liberty debacles and the second, Russian Kara. Nia was still getting used to and growing into her powers, but so far so good.

It wasn’t exactly bedrest – Kara was still in the DEO and sitting out in the command center, at a terminal next to Brainy, and she was following doctor’s orders by not engaging in a strenuous activity. Honestly, she’d only gotten about a paragraph in before she started complaining about her ‘house arrest’, which Brainy so helpfully supplied wasn’t technically true because she wasn’t actually at home.

That had led to the two to start talking or gossiping rather. Kara had the nosy discretion of wanting to know how her friends and family were, in just about every aspect that she could pry out of them; she drew the line with Alex and Maggie – she’d walked in on them enough that she never had to wonder how things were with them. Thankfully, she had Mattie as her partner in crime when it came to those two, but with him in Midvale for the time being, the blonde didn’t really have a co-conspirator to hang out with/harass.

Ironically enough, it was the budding friendship and more between her mentee and fellow alien DEO agent that had gotten Kara into the game of unwanted matchmaking. There were obvious sparks between the two and the reporter actively pushed them together when she could, inviting both to game nights or out to Dollywood when she could. That matchmaking did work, for a few months at least, and while it had ended amicably, Kara was convinced there was still more there that just hadn’t been explored yet.

But for the last half hour, she and Brainy had been working side by side in compatible silence, which the reporter had tried to do but once she got to a stopping point, she had gotten a little antsy. “There’s _nothing_ going on right now?” she asked, huffing as she leaned back in her chair.

“Nothing that needs Supergirl,” replied Brainy. “For the seventh time you’ve asked in the last eighteen minutes.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “I clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“If you are truly that restless,” the Coluan quipped, giving her a look. “Perhaps you could use your reporting to discover a mystery right here.”

That perked her interest. Leaning over, Kara couldn’t help but look both ways before asking, “What’s the scoop?”

“Our mysterious stranger.”

“What about him?”

“You mean other than the fact that he has suddenly appeared out of nowhere,” Brainy listed. “Knows more things about each of us than any of other us knows, and can apparently appear out of thin area to assist our police liaison at unmarked warehouse.”

“Say what now?” Kara asked.

“Oh,” the Coluan replied. “I had thought you had heard. When we receive the call that Detective Sawyer was following our two Calendian friends, Mr. Maths rushed out of here and managed to reach the warehouse in the time it would’ve taken _you_ to get there.”

“That’s not possible,” the reporter murmured.

“I agree,” Brainy replied. “It’s something Director J’onzz and I have been wondering ourselves. I have checked and re-checked to see how that could be possible – there were no transport vehicles that had been issued out, other than the ones that ended up assembling at National Park and the warehouse later. Obviously, something is not right in Norway.”

“I think you mean Denmark,” the blonde corrected. “But that is interesting. He actually managed to get there without a car or taking one of the choppers?”

“Affirmative,” said the agent. “And neither one of us can pinpoint how he was able to do it. I half expected him to be a member of the Legion, but I have yet to discover any proof to prove that assessment.”

“So you want me to play reporter and see what’s what?”

Brainy gave her a strange look. “I believe that’s exactly what I said,” he replied. “But yes, if you could put your remarkable professional background into play to find us the ‘911’ as it were, it would be a huge help in trying to untangle this woven web of weaves.”

The blonde opened her mouth to correct the…numerous fallacies in that statement, but decided to let it go for the moment. Instead, she nodded and looked around, hoping to see the young man they were discussing. Alex had mentioned – grumbled rather – that Maths seemed to now have run of the halls, despite being a mysterious and possibly dangerous stranger who should really be kept in a containment cell.

“Where is he?” she asked.

Brainy looked around himself before bringing up a new window on his console. Apparently, the Coluan agent was keeping tabs on the young man while maintaining his other duties. “Currently,” he whispered. “Mr. Maths is in the training room, though he doesn’t really seem to be training at the moment.”

Kara looked over his shoulder, seeing the younger man was indeed inside one of their smaller training rooms. He was pacing slowly across the floor, as though lost in thought or taking a short break before getting back into it. She quickly saved the progress on her laptop and made her way towards that particular room.

Seeing as she had been grounded for the rest of the day, or at least the afternoon, the reporter had quickly changed into something a little more comfortable and easily identifiable as ‘Kara Danvers wear’. It did cross her mind, as her steps brought her closer to the door and into the room proper, that perhaps she should have kept her super suit on; she immediately dismissed the thought. Her first introduction to Dan Maths had him revealing that he knew who she was, so it really didn’t matter what persona she went as, Dan already knew her.

Walking into the room, she watched the young man go through some motions – something she thought might have been Tai Chi – before he held his pose and tilted his head slightly in her direction. “Need something, Kara?” he asked.

A slim, blonde eyebrow raised as Kara walked deeper into the room, opting to stand next to the man. “I’d almost ask how you even knew it was me,” she quipped. “But I think it’s probably along the lines of how you managed to come to Maggie’s rescue earlier.”

Dan snorted a laugh. “Do not let her hear you say that,” he chuckled. “And not only did I hear the door open, but I can smell your perfume.”

“Good deductive reasoning then.”

“Mom’s a cop, remember?” he retorted. He gave her smile, straightening his pose as he did. “So, what do you need?”

“I have some questions for you,” she began.

“I’m sure you do,” Maths replied. “Though how many answers I have greatly depend on the questions. And I’m sure the first one is how I managed to watch Maggie’s back, cause I knew that little stunt wasn’t going to slip by Brainy.”

“For obvious reasons.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the auburn haired man muttered. “And unfortunately, that’s gonna have to be one of those questions I can’t answer. Future and what not.”

“Exactly,” she said. “If you’re from the future, then these events have already played out, right? So the video, the missing aide, the missing conspiracy theorist, the attack this morning…you knew that would happen. So my question is, why didn’t you warn us or at least help us to stop it?”

“Okay, first of all,” Dan began. “I have no idea what you’re talking about on any of those things. So maybe you can answer some questions for _me_ , like what video? What missing aide? What conspiracy theorist?”

“Are you saying you have no idea about the video that was leaked to the press?” she asked. “With the governor and the Calendians?”

“No,” Maths said, giving the reporter a look. “The governor? And you’re telling me he was meeting with the Calendians? _Our_ Calendians!?”

Sending him a look of her own, Kara quickly removed her phone and began to search for the very video that seemed to have started all of this. Flipping it to its side, she played the file from YouTube, showing Maths the unedited version, but kept her eyes trained on his face. While she had never really been good at watching a person’s body language, Kara had been learning to watch for signs of deception or tendencies that could put her or others in harm’s way.

Surprisingly, what she got from Maths was complete confusion as he watched the video. “I think we all assumed you knew what this was,” she said, stopping the video and replacing her phone back in her pocket. “This video was released the same morning we got our first report about the Calendians and the same morning we ran into each other.”

Maths shook his head. “I didn’t know about that,” he murmured. “I was here for the Calendians. Wait, you also said someone was missing?”

Kara quickly explained the situation – the missing aide, the murdered plant manager, and her missing contact, bringing Dan up to speed on everything that had happened since his arrival. As she spoke, she noted the way he began to pace, his eyebrows furled in confusion and then thought as she went through each event.

“You realize this is all connected, right?” he said, turning back to her when she finished. “None of this is coincidence.”

“That’s what we’re thinking, too,” she admitted. “But how? Granted, all of this happening at the same time is nothing short of weird, but what ties everything together?”

“The Calendians, for one,” Dan started. “Those are definitely Calendians in that video, which means those are probably the same ones that attacked his conference this morning. But why they attack the man they’re supposedly working with? I mean, I know Calendians are touchy, but I don’t think they would just turn on an ally on a dime like that.”

“But why are they working with Marks in the first place?” Kara asked. “What benefits either side for doing so?”

“I don’t know,” Dan whispered. “But I think that brings up the second thing that links this. Me.” Kara looked at him, surprised, but she certainly couldn’t deny it. “I came from the future to stop the Calendians from starting something that’s already happened. As far as history goes, they should not be here at this time, in this place. Obviously, someone has been manipulating them or things for reasons I have yet to find out.”

“Do you think your arrival is the reason this is happening?”

Dan sighed, looking past Kara at some point over her shoulder. Before today, the young man would have denied the soft accusation; he was only here to stop the Calendians from making something horrible even worse, but now, after hearing everything that had led to his arrival, he couldn’t help but wonder if that was true. Unfortunately, the only other person who knew about time travel in this time period was someone he couldn’t exactly say anything to.

And that was the problem.

In order to keep the timeline as it was, without creating an even bigger mess, was keeping his true identity from everyone around him. “I don’t know,” he finally replied. Turning to her, he continued with, “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t have been sent if there was even a remote chance that my presence here could disrupt the current timeline. Of course, the timeline is going to change, but it shouldn’t be so dramatic that completely changes any fixed points.”

“What’s a fixed point?”

“A fixed point in time is something that is fundamental to that particular timeline,” he explained. “It’s something that changes the course of history, whether good or bad.” Seeing the confusion on the blonde’s face, Dan tried to think of an example that could best explain what he meant. “You remember how you mentioned Barry the other day?” he asked. “About him going back to try and save his mother?

“The death of his mother was a fixed point, it had to be. I say that because the moment he changed it, the entire timeline went out of flux. And the more he tried to fix things…”

“The worse things got,” she concluded.

“As horrible as it was,” he continued. “His mother’s death is what drove his actions, what drove him to make the decisions that he made. Now, the fact that he’s on a parallel Earth, in a parallel universe is…you know what? Let’s not get into it cause even I don’t get how any of that works, I don’t want to really, and my mother is a scientist and _she_ can't figure it out.

“Anyway, with Mrs. Allen dying, that drove Barry to do the things he did, which led him to becoming the Flash. Or…say, something like Krypton. If you had the chance to go back in time and stop the destruction of Krypton, would you?”

“Of course,” Kara answered, though her brows furled into the infamous ‘Danvers crinkle’ as she thought about what that meant.

“At what cost?” Dan asked. “As horrible as your planet dying is, it led you here. It led both you _and_ Kal here. I’m sure there are things you wish you could change, but would that be one of them?”

The blonde had to truly think about that. Dan was right - there were things she had done, both as Kara and as Supergirl, that she wished she could do over and yes, honestly, if given the choice of going back and saving Krypton, she absolutely would. But there were downsides; if Krypton hadn’t exploded, she and Kal wouldn’t be on Earth. There were so many lives that had been saved by both of them and the thought that those people would cease to be was saddening.

Alex would have been one of those people. Her first official act as a superhero had been to save the plane her sister was on; without Supergirl, there would be no Alex Danvers.

“So Krypton is my fixed point,” she said. “I don’t think it’s Clark’s; he was only a baby when he got here, but…I understand what you’re trying to say.” She smiled at him, getting one back in return. “Can I ask you something?”

Dan nodded.

“What’s yours?” she asked. “Your fixed point, I mean. Is that why you’re here, in this timeline?”

The young man looked at her, wondering how much he could actually say. It was easy to believe that the third world war or even Darkseid’s impending arrival was the point in history that changed his life, though not at all for the better, but he knew that wasn’t the case.

“Someone changed my life when I was a kid,” he revealed. It was the truth, but it didn’t go any further than the surface. The last thing he wanted right now was to reveal just how intertwined their points actually were.

“That’s usually how these things start.”

The two turned to find J’onn walking through the door and taking a place next to Kara. “Forgive me for intruding,” he replied. “I was actually looking Kara, but I am glad to find the two of you together.”

“That’s either a good thing or not,” Dan chuckled.

“In this case, it’s more of an internal questioning,” J’onn said. At their looks of curiosity, the director stated, “It’s clear these ongoing cases aren’t just random occurrences and I think it’s obvious to us all there’s a connection.”

“Agreed,” Dan said, nodding. “The question is what is that connection? And what does that mean for us? Or rather, I guess what does that mean for you and while the Calendians are here, how that actually affects me in my timeline…” The young man huffed. “This is gonna be long and drawn out.”

“Then we should probably get started,” J’onn said.

 

* * *

 

Tuesday managed to be relatively normal in the lives of everyone in National City. The events from the day before had died down slightly, though it was just another point in the favor of the pro-human movement. Gov. Marks was especially pushy in that regard, using the attack as fodder for why the earth was for humans and not aliens and that “when aliens were allowed to roam the streets, all humans are in danger.”

In the NCPD, the ongoing cases of Grossman, Peters, and Spencer were being handled exclusively by the Science Division; while it hadn’t been absolutely certain that aliens were involved in any of the three cases, there was suspicion and possibility of the fact. Detective Turpin had already discovered that Grossman was approaching a crippling gambling addiction and he did have a couple of alien bookies.

Thanks to Maggie, Turpin now knew the likely suspect in the Peters murder, a man named Hank Henshaw, who in turn worked for the shadowy organization known as Cadmus. Lillian Luthor, leader of the group, had just recently been released from prison and both detectives thought something was fishy about it. The problem with Henshaw was of course finding him and from what Shelby had found out from Guardian James Olsen, he might be in the company of those two aliens that seemed to be central to the Grossman case. Then there was the newest case of Lucky Spencer, which Turpin had handed over to Ro-Ro and Mikey, though knowing that Kara Danvers had been using the guy as a contact in regard to this TMZ video.

Detective Turpin was convinced everything led back to that video and Maggie had pretty much confirmed the thinking as well. But thinking and seeing a connection was all well and good, but it wouldn’t get them a warrant or a date with a judge; they had to actually prove there was something connecting these cases together and so far, they had nothing. Grossman and Spencer were still missing and while they had a lead on Peters, they had to find the guy first.

Wednesday actually seemed to be as calm as Tuesday. Supergirl had answered to a few calls, putting out a fire at an apartment building on the west side before heading over to Albania to prevent a train derailment. In the DEO, Dan Maths was still trying to get information from the lone Calendian they had captured, while both Brainy and J’onn tried to get information from the younger man.

His talk with Kara the other day had been on J’onn’s – and Kara’s – mind and the director couldn’t help but ask the only other person who had been to and from the future. Brainy had confirmed the idea of fixed points and like Kara, had also wondered what Maths’ actual purpose was in coming. Certainly stopping whatever mischief these Calendians were doing, but the very point seemed…strange and nonsensical and quite frankly, he was surprised Mon-El or Imra would send anyone back to combat this.

Wednesday afternoon saw Detective Sawyer and Agent Danvers roll into the alleyway of Dollywood’s, the hidden alien bar within the city. Maggie’s tip from the bartender on Monday had stated that one of the regulars, a Durlan by the name of Argus, was looking for her. Both Maggie and Alex knew Argus from having met him last year in the bar itself, along with his friend Lev.

The two were relatively harmless and if the couple were honest with each other, they thought Argus was a bit of a busybody, however the smaller alien was keyed into the heart of the alien community, more so than Maggie was and could get into areas and places humans couldn’t. Above all, he was more helpful than a hinderance and a delightful person to speak to.

As the bartender had stated, Maggie and Alex easily spotted the small statured being walking back to the table he shared with his friend Lev. As a Durlan, Argus could change into any form, from any species, though most of the time he took one of a short sized, middle-aged Middle Eastern man, with dark hair and eyes to match. He normally kept a light five o’clock shadow on his face, which oddly made him look younger than the thirty-eight he told people and the two hundred fifteen he actually was.

After Mattie had been kidnapped, Argus had actually gone under cover in order to keep an eye on the boy, for nearly two months. Neither Maggie or Alex had known until the boy had mentioned the new boy at his daycare, who was like his new best friend. He had then informed them the new boy was Durlan and was most likely an adult in disguise, though he was pretty sure they had put him on his tail. When confronted, Argus had happily admitted that yes, he was indeed the new boy at Little Rockets and after hearing about what had happened, he wanted to make sure the boy was safe.

For whatever reason, the future Mrs. And Mrs. Danvers had an ally with the Durlan. The same was true with Argus’ friend, Lev. Known as Leviathan, the alien was a member of a species known as Dryads, a silicon-based lifeform from a planet of the same name. As such, he was a large, hulking figure standing over six feet, with a solid form that felt like running into a literal brick wall if anyone tried. While it was hard to see in the dimly light bar during the day, Lev’s color tone was maroon that was smooth to the touch, but slightly cool when you did.

“There they are!” Argus announced, seeing the couple as they walked towards their table. “Our two favorite operatives of the human government. Ladies, every moment basking in your mere presence is of course cause for celebration. Grizliszt, whatever our lovely agents of justice require, post haste.”

Gesturing to the two chairs on the other side of the table, Argus quickly sat down next to Lev, who nodded his head at the two as they sat down. “Hello, Argus,” Alex greeted, smiling sweetly at the two aliens across the table.

“Grizz said you were looking for us, Argie,” Maggie replied, nodding to Grizz the bartender as he dropped off two beers for both her and Alex. “So what’s up?”

“Must I need a reason to see the two most beautiful human women I’ve ever seen?” Argus asked. “Thank you, by the way, for the wedding invite. I was almost afraid you’d leave us high and dry like Brian?”

“Brian’s coming,” Alex sighed. “Please don’t let that get around.”

“We can’t help it if you two are our favorite couple,” the Durlan responded. “Most aliens are still trying to get a handle on how to turn on a TV, much less explore the antics of the Underwoods or that funny show about the spies.”

“Which one?”

The question came from both Alex and Maggie, who chuckled at the fact they had answered at the same time.

“See?” Argus replied, pointing to the two. “How could we not love you both?”

The quartet took a pause in order to take a few sips from their drinks. “Not that we don’t love seeing you, Argie,” Alex began, but was quickly interrupted by Argus.

“Right, right,” the alien said, leaning towards the two. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about the two newbies in town. I saw you take on the good fight, Mags, and we’re both happy to see you managed to come out okay from it.”

“Come across anything?” asked Alex.

“Firstly,” Argus replied. “We’ve seen those two, in here last week as a matter of fact. They did not give Lev a very good first impression.”

“Those two are bad news,” the larger alien stated. “More so because I’ve never seen that species before.”

“And you know that’s a bad sign,” Argus agreed. “I’ve been all over the galaxy, at least thrice and I’ve never encountered their species.”

“Supposedly they’re very xenophobic,” Alex supplied. “Until recently.”

“Certainly explains their lack of manners,” Lev quipped.

“I hope you didn’t cause any trouble, Lev,” retorted the detective.

“Maybe I just want you to arrest me.”

“I’m sitting right here, Lev,” Alex countered, though there was a spark in her eyes and a slight smirk on her lips. If someone had told her, years ago, that she would be sitting across two aliens in a dive bar for aliens – and those aliens weren’t Kara or Clark Kent – she would’ve either walked out or hit that person for lying. Alex loved Kara, adopted she may have been, but Kara Zor-El was her sister and nothing would ever change that.

Nothing.

And as annoying and frustrating as Clark could be at times, Alex loved him too, as the cousin she never had; both of her parents were only children, so there were no nieces and nephews for Eliza or Jeremiah to dote on.

But while there were aliens in her family, Alex had never truly been comfortable with aliens, not when her entire job was devoted to stopping all hostile aliens. So used to doing that, the redhead hadn’t really noticed the regular aliens that were just trying to make a living, trying to make a life on a new planet, one they hoped to call home. That was all thanks to Maggie, who introduced her to a growing and thriving community that was being attacked just for existing.

Like so many others in human history; like Maggie herself, all those years ago. Like the two of them, depending on where they went and who they encountered.

And now, here she was – in that dive bar, across from two aliens, whose company she greatly enjoyed and counted among her growing alien friends.

“I wasn’t sure if you could arrest people, too, Alé.”

“Only when I’m feeling particularly angsty,” Alex retorted, causing the larger being to chuckle.

“Was that all that happened?” asked Maggie.

Argus shrugged. “Short of them getting into Lev’s face when we offered a happy greeting,” he replied. “They just sat at the back, heads buried together like they were sharing the world’s biggest secret. They’re in here Friday, out destroying that governor’s press conference on Monday. No coincidence, you can bet that.”

“Have you heard anything else?”

“Not about those two,” Argus stated. “But Lev did hear a few things around the block. You know that aide that went missing? Did you know he was in for fifty large with Delton’v’s boys?”

“The bookie?” Alex asked.

“Yeah,” the Durlan said. “That aide was in some real financial trouble, enough that he was going to one of the premier bookies around here.”

“Especially considering he was coming down into the community for his fix,” Maggie replied. “If he was trying to keep Marks out of this, this wasn’t the best way to do it.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to keep Marks out of it,” Lev murmured quietly, a knowing look in his dark eyes.

“Now that,” Alex said. “Is an interesting thought.”

“Isn’t though?” Argus said. “There’s also talk that Hank Henshaw is back.”

“That’s what we’re thinking,” Maggie confirmed. “Guardian and Supergirl saw him and there’s some proof that he killed a man, along with those two newbies you mentioned.”

“If Henshaw’s back, that’s a problem,” Lev replied.

“Believe us,” Alex murmured. “We know.”

 

* * *

 

Wednesday night saw Gov Marks seated within the den of this mansion, sitting in a black leather chair, and taking a sip from his bourbon. Across from him, on his coffee table, was a tablet with the familiar face of Lillian Luthor staring back at him. She had given him the tablet as a secure means to contact her; it was too easy to just call on the phone, where lines could be traced back to the caller and that was the last thing Lillian wanted.

“Monday was a little too close for comfort.”

It had been two days since his press conference and since the attack by the two hired alien thugs that were apparently on Cadmus’ payroll. While the stunt had been in Marks’ favor, the fact that he had been in any kind of danger, especially when it hadn’t really been discussed with him beforehand.

“If I had told you what was going to happen,” Lillian began, her eyes narrowed at the man. “You wouldn’t have reacted the way you did.  The fear plays to the audience, which plays to their fears about what could happen; the fact that a respected politician could be attacked is a powerful statement. You may remember that this exact thing happened to the former president, several times, actually.”

Marks nodded. “I understand the reasoning,” he replied, pouring himself another drink. “And the timing, however next time, I’d like to have some sort of heads up, even if it’s as simple as just telling my security detail what might happen.”

“If you know beforehand…”

“Yes, yes,” the governor interrupted, waving her off. “I understand my role in all of this, but it doesn’t mean I want to die for this cause. I do plan on running for higher office, you know.”

“Yes, Peter,” the elder Luthor sighed. “I’m well aware of your ambition and believe me, with you working with us, I can almost guarantee you’ll be seeing yourself in a completely different office. _If_ you let us carry out the plan the way I _intend_ for it to play out.”

Marks swallowed the rest of his drink, his eyes never leaving that of the older woman before him. He had only met her recently, though anyone who was anyone knew the Luthor name and had run across the family at one point or another. Marks had met the daughter, Lena, at a public function and he had of course watched the trial of the century as the son, Lex, had been tried and convicted on numerous counts – murder, treason, arson, larceny, the list could go on.

Lionel and Lillian, the rulers of the roost, were every bit as antagonistic, cunning, manipulative, and ruthless as their reputations stated.

“What exactly is your intention in all this?” he asked, quietly. He’d heard the plan – build up the fear of the city, the state, and the nation against aliens before letting the hammer fall on everyone involved. It was a risk, but calculated plan, one that hadn’t been tried, at least not to this extent.

“You know what my intentions are, Peter,” Lillian replied. “Tomorrow morning, our friends will begin phase two.”

“You realize that Supergirl and her alien loving ilk will be out in force.”

“Of course,” Lillian said, smiling at the governor. “That’s what I’m counting on and what I’ve prepared for.” She waited a breath, looking at the governor before her. Marks was useful, for now, but there was no way he was going to go further than this position. She had planned for everything, every misstep, every contingency, and every player. It was a chess game and she wasn’t just going to check the king, she was going to destroy him.

“And before you start trying to figure out how to distance yourself,” she continued. “Remember that you are all in now. And there’s no backing out, especially not at the last minute. There are many rewards, Peter. Just remember that when you start to wonder if it’s all worth it.

“The answer is a resounding yes.”


	10. Chapter IX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank Henshaw has a run in with a scientist, while Alex, Maggie, and Supergirl go 3 for 3 against the Calendians and their friends. Unexpected help leads to a remarkable discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy post holidays and a happy 2019! No excuses, other than work and the holiday season. I was trying to post this before the new year, but yeah. Did not work.
> 
> A heads up however - this chapter is gonna count as your mid-season finale for the moment as I'm planning on _hopefully_ working on my other current series in the Steven Universe fandom. It won't be long - I hope - but just know there may be more time in between until the next chapter.
> 
> However, I hope everyone is enjoying this so far. This story has jump kicked some ideas - including a story crossover event - that I really want to get into for you guys, so big stuff is happening! Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you'll travel along as we go through 2019!

Wednesday night didn’t bring about as much activity as Friday night did, but there were still people out and about. Night clubs and restaurants still did a decent amount of business, movie theaters still had movie goers, and the roads still held drivers going to and from various parts of town. People still spoke about what had happened on Monday, but it was starting to filter out into much more pleasant things – spring training had started up again, the summer was looming over the city and people, both young and old, couldn’t wait.

As night continued, winding from early evening to evening proper to nearly midnight, the streets began to clear out as people began to head back home. However, in an unmarked building off the docks, there was still activity going on inside. Though originally a warehouse that functioned as an assembly line for various parts to manufacturers throughout the city, the state, and the country, the warehouse was now in the employ of Cadmus.

The warehouse was a front for its more research and development focused actions. Tables had been set up with computers and lab equipment, able to retrieve information across a variety of platforms for ‘research’. Cadmus had a number of these warehouses littered throughout the city, however after the debacle with the Grave siblings and Agent Liberty, many of them had been turned over to the DEO, scrubbed, and repurposed for actual ‘legal’ use.

This one had thankfully gone under the radar and had quickly become a central point to combating against what they now knew was the truth – there was an alien menace within National City, one that had managed to overtake a government facility and had even penetrated the highest office of the land – the president. CatCo Worldwide Media had already alien leanings thanks to former CEO and owner Cat Grant and that trend continued with the interim CEO James Olsen and shockingly, the purchase of the company by L-Corp founder and CEO, Lena Luthor.

It was this kind of disloyalty that burned Hank Henshaw.

Henshaw had been a career military man, a former decorated soldier within the US Army, who had done tours in Desert Storm, Vietnam, and other parts of the world. When the DEO was created, he was the first person approached to lead and further its mission to discover and ultimately, rid the Earth of hostile aliens. To Henshaw, _all_ aliens were a blight on humanity and brought nothing but evil intentions to every human in existence. That was how he ran the DEO – every one of its agents knew the cost of letting even _one_ alien go free – the only good alien was a dead one and if the agency could harness their alien powers to further human existence in order to protect against further infestation, then that’s what they would do.

And then it all went horribly wrong.

Henshaw even knew when and where it all fell apart – it started with the arrival of Kara Danvers and then recruiting her father, Jeremiah. All he had to do was go to the house in Midvale and take the Kryptonian for study and that should’ve been it; instead, he had let the accomplished scientist talk him into taking him instead, leaving the alien and getting a scientist who knew more about Kryptonian anatomy and behavior.

That same man had thrown him off a cliff one year later, protecting a rogue alien who ended up not only stealing his identity but his very position in his own agency.

And then that alien - that J’onn J’onzz - had proceeded to turn the DEO into a hippy, alien loving sham. And if that wasn’t enough, he had gone and recruited Jeremiah’s oldest daughter, along with the Kryptonian alien he dared call an adoptive daughter. It was despicable, a slap in the face of everything he had ever stood for to protect his home, his planet. And if that wasn’t enough, Lillian Luthor had seen genius in Jeremiah Danvers and provided him employment after they had found his body.

Luthor may have thought Danvers the logical and smart choice when it came to understanding the alien threats they were up against, but Henshaw knew differently. It only took one interaction with his family before the scientist had completely turned on them, aiding his agent daughter in taking down their facility and stopping the transport to deport the aliens they had rounded up.

That had been four years ago, but it was four years that still raged in Henshaw’s mind.

For now, he made his way back to this hideout of sorts, his mechanical enhancements needing a slight tune up to ensure maximum capacity and efficiency. He had been busier than usual as of late, but it was all worth it; finally, the direction and purpose he had been given while in the employ of Cadmus was coming to fruition and it meant getting rid of those who would oppose that.

Last week he took care of some whistleblower from Plastino Chemicals, taking him out before Supergirl or Guardian had a chance to get any information from him; a few days before that, he had made sure to close the loose ends with the governor. While he was doing his best to cut anyone or anything that could derail their plans, Henshaw wasn’t pleased at the 'people' he had to work with.

Having to accompany and properly brief their alien comrades was a huge sore spot for him. Using aliens to get humans to fear them was a sound plan, he couldn’t punch any holes in it, however the very fact that Cadmus as an organization had to stoop so low as to work with aliens in the first place was a bitter pill. It wasn’t the first time, of course, as the Daxamite invasion had shown; there had to be another way that wasn't dependent on having aliens in any means on their side.

His next source of rage came to the man in front of him.

The former DEO director had come here to not only get an update on their progress, but to also advance the next stage of their plan. Unfortunately, the person in charge was someone Henshaw just did not like - the scientist was arrogant, overconfident, and sentimental, things that did not work well in this type of environment.

The scientist was currently speaking with someone via a video conference, though the second party was partly in shadow, so it was hard to discern who the other caller was. The second party was of average height, with dark brown hair that was touched by gray on the sides. While he could only see his back, Henshaw knew the man had a similar colored beard that covered his face, along with dark eyes that now seemed haunted and guarded, that mirrored the wrinkles that now lined his face around the eyes and mouth.

“We’ve lost contact with Hol’var,” the scientist was saying. “There’s reports he was captured by the DEO, but so far, we haven’t had confirmation.”

“I can send you two more,” the shadowy figure replied. “However, I truly don’t want to completely lose my batch of ready-made soldiers to the time or the planet.”

“Of course not,” the scientist said. “We just need to execute this phase of the plan and that should push us forward.  We're on track with what we’ve projected and this should be the final step to getting us where we need to be.”

The shadow nodded. “This will just propel things along quicker,” it said. “They say time is the fire in which we burn. Time is an important aspect to your humanity and some would say you were running out of it, but with my help, you’ll be able to change how time will see you. Expect your packages within the hour.”

The communication winked out, leaving the scientist staring at the screen. “Are you just going to stand there?” he asked, his head turned to indicate his awareness of the cyborg.

“I take it we’re on track?” Henshaw asked, stepping up closer to the man. It would be so easy to get rid of the man, there and now; his laser eye could do significant damage to the human body…

“You heard the man,” the scientist replied, turning back to whatever experiments he had been working on before the call. “And whatever ideas you have about me, I hope you’ll have the good graces to put them off until we pull _this_ off.”

“I don’t have to like you to work with you,” Henshaw grunted. “But you can bet when this all over, you _will_ be a dead man.”

“Technically,” the scientist stated, sending a smirk to the cyborg. “History considered _both_ of us dead men and yet, here we stand. And just who do you think history will consider the hero and the villain in all this?”

Henshaw chuckled. “Don’t kid yourself,” he said. “The only heroes here are the ones that are fighting for humanity. Make sure you fully understand that, before you start throwing around titles. And besides -” He leaned in to the man. “And just what makes you think you’re any kind of hero? You belong to Cadmus, don’t think otherwise.”

The two stared at each other for a moment. “You heard our friend,” the scientist stated. “We’ll get some additional help in this and even if or, almost certainly when, they meet Supergirl, it’ll give us enough of a distraction and then we’ll move forward. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

Henshaw growled under his breath, but none the less backed off and turned around to walk away. It chaffed him something fierce, but he knew it was only a matter of time before that man’s true colors were shown. Henshaw hadn’t trust him then and he certainly didn’t trust him now; he only needed an excuse and he would do the organization a favor.

He just needed to bide his time.

 

* * *

 

It was a little after six in the morning when Alex’s phone went off, the image of her mother and the writing noting that ‘Mom’ was calling. Why her mother was calling her so early in the morning had no idea, but she blindly reached for the ringing phone on the nightstand.

The apartment had been relatively quiet with a five year old running around inside and it was strange not to have Mattie’s presence within, however there was something to be said of having two adults alone in an apartment without a child in it. Miss the boy as much as they did, Alex and Maggie were still a very loving couple, one that was prepared to spend the rest of their lives together, and they currently had a child free apartment.

And with a child free apartment…

The two had of course taken the time to reignite their relationship, enjoying a date night, sharing a relaxing bubble bath, and having the option of not closing the door or keeping quiet during their love making. But interspersed with that were various calls from Eliza and Mattie.

The boy seemed to be enjoying his time in Midvale, experiencing a new location and the things within. The day before he had excitedly told both Alex and Maggie that he had seen the ocean, asking the two if they had ever seen the ocean, he had seen a crab, he had tried to drink some of the ocean, and then quickly warned all of the adults to _not_ drink the ocean.

“Hey Mom,” came the groggy reply.

“Good morning, Alexandra,” Eliza replied. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” the agent replied, though it was quickly followed by a yawn. Turning over onto her back and stretching lightly, she was careful not to wake the Latina laying next to her. They’d had a rather late night and the hope was to sleep in for just a bit, or at least until they actually needed to get up for work. “Not exactly. What’s up?”

“Well, someone wanted to speak with you.”

There was some shuffling in the background before Alex heard the cheerful voice of Mattie. “Allie?” he asked. “Is me, Mattie.”

“Hey, Beanie baby,” Alex said, a smile automatically appearing on her lips. “Whatcha doing?”

“Nana made pancakes!” came the announcement, which the redhead could tell was done with said pancakes in the boy’s mouth.

At the same time, both Alex and Eliza replied, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, please.”

“Allie, have you had Nana’s pancakes?” asked the boy.

“I have,” she said. “And they are delicious. It’s the reason Kara and I make her make breakfast when she’s here.”

“Is that Mattie?”

Maggie yawned before snuggling further against her fiancée. Alex hummed, turning her head to deliver a morning kiss to the detective’s forehead. “Is that Maggie?” the boy asked. “Is Maggie there?”

Smirking, Alex said, “Such a Sawyer.”

She hit the speaker phone button on the phone before placing it on the visible portion of her chest that wasn’t covered by the sheets. “Maggie? Maggie!”

“Buenos días, mijo,” Maggie greeted, leaning up on her elbow.

“Buenos días!” The boy repeated. “’Liza, that means ‘good morning’. Did you know that?”

Eliza said something in the background that seemed to appease the boy before he turned back to the conversation he was having with the two women back at his home. “Maggie, Nana made pancakes and I’m eating them.”

“I bet they taste yummy,” the detective responded. “I heard they’re pretty good.”

“Like yours!” Mattie exclaimed. “Nana, did you know Maggie makes pancakes?”

Mattie went on to explain his adoptive mother’s pancakes versus that of his soon to be grandmother. And then suddenly, the conversation turned to the one subject the three had tried to avoid. “When are you coming back?”

“Soon, babe,” Alex sighed.

As much fun as they were having in their relative locations, this truly had been the first time the three of them had been apart for this amount of time. Even if Kara watched Mattie or the boy went over to play with Dan Turpin’s kids, he would still see both Alex and Maggie before he went to bed or at least the next day; even throughout Alex and Maggie’s reunion and rebuilding of their relationship, the DEO agent had been a constant presence in the boy’s life for a year.

“Couple more days, mijo,” added Maggie, giving Alex a look as she did. She wanted to reassure both of them, but the vibration from her own phone had her leaning over her fiancée to reach it. Grabbing it, she quickly turned away to answer, leaving Alex to the child.

Taking the call off speaker, she brought the phone up to her ear. “You know why we had to do this, right?” she asked. They had explained it and Mattie had said he understood, but Alex knew sometimes kids said things in order to appease parents or authority figures.

“Yeah,” the boy said, his tone of voice stating he did understand, but it didn’t mean he had to like it. “You and Maggie have to keep everyone safe and to keep me safe, I have to be here with ‘Liza.”

“That’s right,” she replied. “And I swear, as soon as we get everything under control, me, Maggie, and Kara are going to go up there and we’ll have a vacation. Maybe I’ll even show you have to surf properly and not like those guys you saw the other day.”

“What?” the boy laughed. “They were cool! And the one guy had flames on his board. They were _flames_ , Alex!”

Alex felt Maggie nudge her, with a whispered, “We gotta go” before she moved the phone away from her ear and put it back on speaker.

“Mattie, we gotta go,” she said, following the detective out of bed and gathering clothes.

“Okay!” the boy shouted. “Tell me you love me!”

“We love you to the moon and back,” Maggie replied. “And then some.”

“Forever and always,” Alex added. “Be good, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Mattie said, nodding. “You go protect the city and I’ll stay here and protect Nana.”

“Good deal, rookie.”

“See you later, alligator,” replied Alex.

“After while, crocodile,” came the familiar response. “I love you. Nana loves you, too!”

With that, the boy hung up, heedless of any opportunity that Eliza might want to speak with her daughter, however Alex was fairly confident Mattie would pass on the message that the two were in the midst of something. Speaking of…

“What’s up?” she asked, entering the bathroom, passing Maggie as she quickly brushed her teeth.

“Disturbance downtown,” she reported, rinsing her mouth. “Our friends the Calendians are back and this time, they’ve brought friends.”

“What? How?”

“We’ll have to ask once we get them in custody,” the detective said. “ _If_ we get them in custody, that is.”

Both women were dressed and out the door within twenty minutes, each heading off to their respective departments, leaving lingering kisses against familiar lips with messages to be safe and to come back to the other. Alex was already in the DEO and dressed in her battle armor uniform by the time Brainy was giving out information about the disturbance. “We’ve been hearing reports about additional Calendians being in the area,” the Coluan was saying.

“Where are they now?” Supergirl asked.

“And how many are we looking at?” Alex added, stepping up next to her sister.

J’onn and Maths were also gathered around the table, the latter wearing a pensive look on his face, a breath slowly escaping between his lips. Hearing that there were additional Calendians now on the planet did not settle well with him; who were they? And more importantly, how did they get here? Who sent them? Was it the same person who had sent the previous aliens? Either way, Maths didn’t like what was happening. The situation was starting to spin out of control and was opening up the prospect of the very thing he had been sent to prevent.

“So far,” Brainy continued. “The reports have shown there are now two additional Calendians in league with the two we already know about it. Currently -” he turned towards the monitor wall, swiping across the tablet in his hand to share his screen with the others. The image shared was the current GPS view of the last noted area the aliens had seen. “We’re getting reports the Calendians are moving their way to the center of the city, destroying anything they come in contact with.”

“There’s been a lot of chatter from the NCPD about some vandalism in different parts of the city,” Vasquez piped up, turning in her chair to address the others.

“The Calendians are getting bold,” J’onn announced. “It’ll make them more confident, but also reckless and that means they might have less reason to keep their destruction to random buildings and vehicles.”

“We have to stop them before they head into someplace that’s heavily populated,” Supergirl said.

“Alright!” Alex announced. “Jackson, Morris, head up omega team; Sanchez, I want you and Grayson to take beta team. I’ll take alpha team. Supergirl, you’re with me. Brainy, we’ll need some support on anticipating where the Calendians might be heading.”

“I will immediately begin calculating the approximate coordinates on where they might be heading,” Brainy replied. Turning, he said, “I may need Mr. Maths’ help.”

The statement shook Maths out of his stupor, causing him to stand up from his slouched position and nodded. “Of course, Brainy.”

“Keep in mind that we still need to find out where and when these aliens have come from,” J’onn reminded. “Stay safe and watch each other’s backs. Let’s end this so we can get some answers.”

 

* * *

 

Oyogsne and Quo’wazar had been called upon by a higher power.

The two Calendians were members of the Qua’la, a sect of Calendians who were pulling away from their older traditions, where their species just stayed on their planet, populating but never going outside of their territory. They did not like other species, for good reason as others brought death and destruction; however, keeping to themselves were leading them to a death and destruction on their own.

Their elders were dying out and some of the youngsters weren’t propagating the way their species had done millennia before. There was unrest, resentments that had been building up well before the two Calendians took their first steps on this strange planet. That unrest continued to grow until Hol’var and Du’mluc had gone hunting and had come before a strange, powerful being.

That being had spoke to them, telling them that their species was wasting away, dying in the face of old traditions and habits; that soon, there would no Calendia or Calendians to speak of. And the only way to prevent that was to explore outside of their world, their dimension, and even, their own timeline.

The being told them to gather their most faithful, their most loyal believers to him and he would ensure not only the survival of their species, but grant them the ability to conquer other worlds to help grow their numbers. Hol’var and Du’mloc had gathered their people, including a young warrior named To’vek, to follow the being’s orders and true to his word, he had sent them to another world to meet with a species known as humans.

These humans wanted their help to bring about panic and fear to their own people, in order to rid their planet of an alien presence. If this was strange to the Calendians, the trio didn’t say anything; history had shown them that the powerful needed to cull the weak in order to continue their reign. These humans seemed weak in comparison to the larger green skinned aliens, but their intelligence might be their strength, especially considering the cunning being used for what they were suggesting.

However, it didn’t truly matter – this world would soon be ripe for conquering, opening the door for the Calendians to take the planet Earth for themselves.

There had been setbacks, however – the mysterious disappearance of Hol’var troubled his companions, especially when they had no idea where he could’ve gone. The other was To’vek’s injury at the hands of the humans. The plan to attack the political leader’s rally had ended with To’vek’s right arm being hit with small projectiles, in two separate attacks and by the same human no less.

They had managed to stumble back to the hideout the human group had set up for them, placing To’vek in medical care of human medicine men and women who had no knowledge of Calendian physiology or customs. While there, they were given their next assignment, one that greatly pleased and surprised them.

They were being given free reign to destroy as much of the city as they possibly could. Not just that, but their fellow warriors Oyogsne and Quo’wazar were being called in to help; there were no restrictions to what they could do, even if it meant their own people would be hurt in the attack.

In fact, they were encouraged to hurt as many people as possible.

Once To’vek had been stitched up, the four Calendians – reunited in hatred for their elders and the prospect of battle – were sent out into the night of the strange city. Calendians were notorious xenophobes, never liking the prospect of being around other species or journeying outside of their own galaxy, so this new planet – with its ongoing lights, loud noises, and hordes of strange machines that seemed to crawl and zip around – was as exciting as it was an affront to what a true world of Calendia could be.

The four then began their crusade to dismantle as much of National City as they possibly could.

 

* * *

 

The NCPD precinct was in chaos as officers were being dispatched to take care of the apparent riots that were now popping up around the city. Maggie managed to get three steps within the building before running into her captain, who immediately pointed her back out the door.

“Sawyer! You’re with Turpin and Daniels, east side detail. Some large green aliens are stomping their way across the city with little regards to anything or anyone in their way. Get on it!”

Captain Renee Montoya was one of only three women in a leadership position within National City’s police force and one of two Latinas, including Maggie. Like her fellow officer, Montoya had left the grit and grime of Gotham and landing herself in her current precinct. She was a tall woman, with a bronzed complexion, dark eyes, and raven hair that was often tied into a ponytail.

She was a by the books police officer, however that didn’t mean she wouldn’t bend the rules if it meant saving one of her officers. That was exactly what she had done when Maggie had up and asked for a sabbatical immediately after breaking off her engagement to Alex Danvers. The detective had a lot of vacation days saved up, nearly a year and the second Latina would have absolutely used up all of that time if Montoya hadn’t gotten a tip from her former partner that Gotham PD needed some help.

While she and Maggie hadn’t been assigned the same shifts, they ran in the same circles – especially when they were the only two out lesbians within the department – so the captain had been well aware the heartache that came with a broken relationship, especially one that seemed so right and solid.

As soon as Sawyer had gotten her head on straight, Montoya had called her back to the NC, putting her together with the newly joined Dan Turpin, also a new transplant, this time from Metropolis; Turpin had a reputation of losing his cool at times and the transition to a new city and a baby on the way only heightened that. Putting the two together should’ve made an explosive combination, but it was actually the opposite. They worked extremely well together, a first for two hard headed cops that never particularly enjoyed having partners, and that recipe had led to them busting up one of the biggest alien slave rings the city had seen.

Montoya was respected captain and leader, someone her officers could count on in any situation and she didn’t shy away from putting in her dues, even though her position meant she didn’t necessarily needed to. As such, the Latina was making her way outside just as Maggie was coming in and shouting orders.

The detective waited for the captain and the group of officers that were following her to pass, catching sight of both Dan and JD heading towards her as they did. “Joined the party just in time,” JD joked.

John Francis Patrick Daniels, III was the child of a public service family – his father and grandfather had been firemen, while his mother had been a dispatcher for a hospital; two of his sisters were EMTs and the other was a paramedic.

Jack, as most of his family called him, was the only police officer in the family and it was a job he greatly enjoyed, especially with this new line of focus on preventing the harm to both aliens and humans alike. He was the youngest of his siblings and the only one who held his mother’s green eyes versus his father’s brown, though he had his mother’s fair complexion and a combination of his parents’ looks. Despite being in his late twenties, he still kept a youthful appearance that caused many to think he was much younger than his twenty-eight years.

“Well, I heard you were going to be here,” Maggie quipped, getting in step with the two. “So of course came.”

“If there’s a Jack Daniels joke in there…”

Turpin snorted. “You know Jack isn’t Sawyer’s brand.”

“You know the 411 on this?”

Maggie shook her head, leading the two out the door and back into the sunny morning. “Only that our friends from Marks’ conference are back,” she responded. “And they brought friends.”

“Dispatch started getting reports earlier this morning,” JD said. “They’ve been busy apparently – they broke in the museum, toppled a few street lights, overturned cars. It’s a miracle they haven’t hurt anyone.”

“Yet,” the detective muttered. “And I don’t think they were trying to spare humans, just that there weren’t many around this morning.”

The three headed towards Turpin’s patrol car when Maggie’s phone began to ring, the familiar tone signifying that Alex was calling her. “Sawyer,” she answered.

“Heads up,” came the agent’s voice. “We’ve got visual on at least two Calendians in the downtown area.”

“We’re on the way.”

Maggie hung up, looking at her two fellow officers. “Downtown,” she reported. “Alex has eyes on at least two.”

“I’ll drive,” Turpin announced, heading to the driver’s side while the others piled in. Turning left into the street, the detective immediately made a U-Turn and sped off down the street.

 

* * *

 

Thursday morning started as it normally did for Craig Davis. As an investment banker, he was afforded the ability to take time off today was the fourth day of his two week vacation. He had taken off a number of days during the Agent Liberty fiasco, wanting to do his part to keep the roaches from taking everything that good, decent humans worked hard for.

Craig worked his way up, unlike these roaches that just came from some no name planet, invading Earth and trying to take it over. And worse, that bitch running L-Corp had made it hard to even tell who was human and who was an alien now, thanks to some fancy technology that would shield aliens so they could look human; it was disgusting. Davis had tried to get into a Liberty group, to show his support for the cause, but he had to be careful that he wasn’t identified – those bleeding heart liberals always made a show of who was opposed to ‘advancement’ and ‘equal rights’. As though equal rights extended to people trying to take over the livelihoods of honest, hardworking humans.

And what did those hard working humans get in return? They got arrested. Ben Lockwood, the man behind the Agent Liberty persona, had been captured by Supergirl – another alien posing as a human and declaring herself a beacon of hope – and sentenced to several counts of assault, arson, larceny, and murder. All because he was trying to bring order back to a world that had obviously gone crazy. There had been numerous attempts to break the visionary out of his prison, which had gone about as one would expect.

Craig had been sending money to a few organizations that were trying to get Agent Liberty out of jail or possibly, restart the Children of Liberty. The man knew there were still pockets of people who still wanted to keep aliens out of National City and off the planet and he was one of those people. In fact, once he finished walking his dog, he was planning on checking the forums to see if there were any meet ups after this last shake up.

Davis lived in the downtown area, his high rise apartment complex only a block away from his office building, which allowed him to do a few different errands before having to go into work. His dog was a small beagle named Raleigh and they took this same route – out the door to the right, down Carter Ave, then a left on Speeker and continuing down two blocks until they reached Western, turned left, and went around the FireWatch building until they came back to Carter and back home – every day.

Nothing should have signaled this to be anything but.

Craig had his headphones in, listening to the latest Arianna Grande song – which was just mixed in with the hard rock of Metallica and Nine Inch Nails, of course – so he wasn’t exactly paying that much attention to his surroundings. And if he hadn’t wanted to get an early start on checking the forums – a definite time suck – he probably would’ve turned on the TV to see that there were currently four unknown aliens converging on the downtown area.

So when Craig walked down Speeker,  he had no idea what he was walking into. At least, not until Raleigh stopped in his tracks, causing his owner to nearly trip over him. The only reason why Craig’s momentum stopped was because he fell into someone.

“Beg your pardon, sir,” the man began, regaining his balance and taking his headphones out of his ear. He opened his mouth to continue, but it just dropped when his eyes met hardened green abs and continued dropping as his eyes traveled up the length of the brick wall he had just hit. Despite his hatred and loathing of aliens and what they were doing to the country, Craig Davis had never actually _met_ an alien and therefore, when finally before one, he was immediately stunned in surprise and fear.

The being towered over him and from the expression on his face, it certainly wasn’t happy having been bumped into. Craig tried to say something, do something, but his body was frozen and could only make small squeaks that escaped his lips. Raleigh tried to be brave, tried to protect his master by barking and running towards the being, but the green giant just sneered and growled at the dog, causing him to yip in fright and run behind his owner’s legs.

Craig tried to stumble back, but ultimately he did trip over the beagle this time and he landed hard on the concrete behind him.

Having never believed in such ridiculous things as near death experiences or life flashing before your eyes, Craig Davis was assaulted by all of the things he had ever done in his life and it wasn’t goo. While his job made his life well off and he was well paid, he had given up a lot of things in order to get to where he was; he had rejected a very nice woman from his building because he deemed her too ‘unrefined’ for the taste of woman he wanted, he had happily helped bilk some poor old woman out of $50,000 – a life savings – so he could get the promotion he wanted…

He actively participated in the Children of Liberty forums and chat discussions, coming up with ideas on how to rid the Earth of roaches and their ilk, how killing off children would make these intruders pay; he had once told the forums he knew of several alien friendly daycare centers and how attacking them or killing the children inside would show both aliens and their alien loving friends that pro-humans would do everything and anything to take back their country.

Craig Davis was going to die. He thought when this day came, he would be old and rich, surrounded by beautiful women mourning him, there was even some thought that maybe he would have a family that would miss him; perhaps his death would come like so many other humans, at the hands of a filthy alien and he would be praised for standing his ground, taking out as many of the creatures as he could, while saving his fellow humans.

But under it all, Craig Davis was a coward and he was going to die and he was sure that no one was going to mourn him or even remember him.

Just as the large alien was taking a step towards him, his leg lifted to crush his poor dog and then him, a red and blue blur whizzed past him and he was moving backwards, but not on his own. By the time his mind had caught up to reality, he was around the corner in an alley, the very alley he had passed just moments before. There was a group of people surrounding him, with one man standing over him.

“You okay, mister?” the man asked, his large eyes blinking at him.

“Is he gonna be okay?” asked someone else.

Craig shook his head, before nodding to the previous questions. Looking up, he realized why things didn’t seem to make much sense to him. He had run into a very large and very angry alien being and he had apparently been saved by a group of aliens and humans. The man before him, the one who had asked if he was okay, had very large, owl like eyes that Craig could now see were brown, a strange color set against what Craig could now see was orange, rough skin.

“You…you helped me?” he stuttered. He had thought all aliens stuck together, so why would this one and a few others by the looks of it, save him from one of their own?

“Of course, dude,” replied a teen that was standing a bit back. He had a multi-colored mohawk that stood contrast to the all black he was wearing – hoodie, jeans, and shoes. “That angry Shrek was gonna curb stomp you.”

“And he’s got friends,” one woman stated. “Didn’t you see the news this morning?”

Craig shook his head.

“There’s four of these guys roaming around the city right now,” replied owl eyes. “We’ve been trying to get people off the street before they get even madder than they are now.”

“They do not seem the friendly type,” another woman replied, this one he was sure was human, just by her clothes and the way she was comforting Raleigh. Though, considering that aliens were now able to conceal themselves, Davis couldn’t really be sure if any of these people were truly human. Which meant…which meant he had just been saved by a bunch of aliens.

The left always talked about how not every alien was hostile, that there were many that had come to the planet to start their lives over, who had been taken and then landed here without consent…almost like a number of humans who had ended up in the United States.

Had…had he been wrong?

It wasn’t the time or place to truly consider what this all meant, but for the moment he had, he could at least acknowledge that these…people had saved him. “Thank you,” he whispered, getting to his feet with some help from those around him. The second woman handed over the beagle, who whined at being jostled, but managed to lick the woman’s hand.

“Oh dip,” the teen murmured, his attention turned towards the street they had been hiding from. “Yo Mags!”

Craig turned his attention to a new presence, a Hispanic woman hurrying over to the group, followed by two men; all three wore the standard NCPD blue windbreakers. “What’s happening over here?” the woman named ‘Mags’ replied.

“We just saved this dude from being hella smashed!” the teen exclaimed, pointing to the banker.

“We’ve been trying to get people off the street and out of the way of those monsters,” the first woman replied.

“Everyone alright?” asked the younger officer, getting a few nods in return.

“JD,” the woman began. “Make sure everyone is good here and get them out of here.”

“There’s another group of people hiding in the Forsythe building,” another man piped up, this one dressed in full business attire, though his pants and jackets were dusty.

“I’ll go check it out,” the other male officer said, nodding to the woman. She seemed to be the go to person in this trio, considering that she was the one who seemed familiar to the teenager at least.

She nodded at the plan. “Anyone see where those aliens went?” she asked.

“Yeah,” the teen said. Pointing down the street, he said, “Supergirl dropped that fool, that’s when we got my dude here. That was the only one though; I saw at least three and this nice lady said she heard there was like four or five around.”

The teen looked at the woman officer. “Maggie, you gotta lock these dudes down,” he said. “They’re seriously gonna hurt somebody.”

“No, they won’t,” she insisted. “We _will_ stop them.” Patting the boy on the shoulder, she gave him a smile, saying “You did good, Diggy. Say hi to your mother for me.”

“I will,” the teen said, watching as the woman began a jog down the street, following the sounds of an ongoing fight ahead of her. “Watch your six!”

“Alright, folks,” the younger officer replied, beginning to gather everyone to him. “Just follow me and I’ll get you out of here. Diggy, you think you can show Detective Turpin that other group?”

“Sure dawg,” the teen, Diggy, replied.

Craig began to follow the others, passing the teen. He nodded, sending the boy a smile getting a nod in return. The banker couldn’t hear anything, but he couldn’t help but look behind him, towards the place where he had been and where the woman officer had run off towards. Supergirl was an alien and had saved him, then he had been saved by another group of aliens and humans; he had been saved by aliens from being killed by another alien.

As he walked with his rescuers, his little dog in his arms, Craig Davis began to rethink some of his preconceived notions.

 

* * *

 

_This can’t be happening._

Dan Maths was used to the unexplained occurring – he was a DEO agent in his own time, after all – and he was currently in what he could consider the past, from a time he felt was his future, after arriving there from his current place in time. He had come to this time in order to prevent something worse happening in his own time; he couldn’t prevent the third world war – that was a fixed point in time and doing so could potentially about an even worse catastrophe.

But he could undo whatever was happening now or so he thought.

As he watched Alex, Supergirl, and the various DEO teams leave the building to handle another attack from the Calendians, a second attack in the same week and now, there were two additional aliens on the scene, two aliens that Maths couldn’t account for. This wasn’t what he had thought would happen while he was there – he would arrive, get help from the appropriate people, capture the offending aliens, and be on the way. But this was becoming far more complex and challenging than he originally thought and knowing what he knew now - about the uploaded video, the connection with the current governor, and the strange disappearances attributed to both the arrival of the Calendians and his – meant something wasn’t going to plan.

“Mr. Maths?”

Oh. Right.

He was supposed to be helping Brainy. Shaking his head clear, Maths walked over to the console Brainy was sat at, and looked over his shoulder. The Coluan already had a map of the city up on his screen, seemingly trying to track where the Calendians could or would move next. “What’ve you got?” he asked, watching as the map lit up with possible trajectories on where the aliens had last been seen.

“As Agent Vasquez noted,” Brainy began, his eyes going over the map. “We had some chatter from the NCPD about some disturbances that happened earlier this morning. Nothing major, petty vandalism, however there does seem to be a pattern in their movements.” Pointing to the screen, Brainy moved his finger along the road lines, stating, “It seems they began their destructive path from the same warehouse area where you and Detective Sawyer managed to catch our first set of Calendians.

“If we follow their path, they went from that district towards the central area of the city. See here?” Brainy pointed to the Museum of Natural Art. “The front doors of the museum were broken, with a number of items within the lobby being destroyed.”

“No police were called out?” Maths asked.

“They were,” the Coluan replied. “A report came in about two o’clock this morning about it, however by the time police units arrived, the Calendians were already headed off, towards Delancy. They knocked the street lights at the intersection of Delancy and Park and continued the same action for nearly two blocks.”

“Right here,” Maths said, pointing at the map. “You’ve got markers heading away from Delancy and almost doubling back. What time were these events?”

“These seem to take place shortly after the incident at the museum,” Brainy said, one of his eyebrows going up in question. “I’m at a loss as to why they would change course in this way. Look here – they come back almost parallel to where they had been, before they changed course and came back towards National Drive. This…does not make any logical sense.”

“They’re lost,” the younger man murmured. “They’re on an unfamiliar planet, unfamiliar terrain, unfamiliar atmosphere. What do you normally do where you visit some place new?”

“Normally, I investigate the history and nature of the location,” Brainy stated. “Essentially, I try to gather as much information as possible to ensure that I am aware of all contingencies that could possibly happen, adhering…”

“Right, right,” Maths interrupted. “Basically, you take a map. You make sure you have an idea of where you’re going. These guys don’t. Meaning they’re just roaming around the city.”

“If that’s true…”

“Anyone they come in contact with is in danger,” Maths concluded.

“We believe that the four broke away from each other,” the Coluan said, pointing at two different  points on the map. “We got two different reports, three blocks apart, but now it seems they’re heading towards the same area.”

“The business district downtown,” Maths murmured.

Brainy immediately swiped his current view to that of the main monitor wall, signaling J’onn to their observations. “Agent Danvers.”

“Go ahead, J’onn.”

“Brainy and Maths have started a trajectory on our four friends,” the director replied, looking at the monitor wall. “Looks like they’re heading downtown.”

“Got it,” replied Alex over the line. “I’ll notify Maggie, too. NCPD’s got men on the ground and headed out. Supergirl copy.”

“I got it,” called the super. “I’ll do a fly by and get a visual.”

“Be alert,” J’onn reminded. “There may be people on the street heading into work. Our first duty is to ensure civilian safety.”

The building turned quiet, but hummed with energy as channels remained opened to hear from the dispatched teams. Vasquez still had an ear on any traffic coming out from NCPD. Agent Jackson, who was heading up Omega Team, radioed in. “Omega team’s just cleared the area around downtown north,” he said. “No visual on targets.”

“Copy that,” J’onn replied. “Beta Team, do you read?”

“We read you, sir,” Sanchez came in. “We’re clearing out the west side and treating a few injuries. Eyewitnesses state at least one target, heading down Carter towards Speeker.”

“I got ‘im!” announced Supergirl.

“I’m right behind you,” Alex said.

Again, the command center was quiet as everyone’s eyes stayed on the map before them. The four Calendian targets were in red and were quickly moving towards the center of the city, which usually noted as downtown National City. Much of the large enterprises and business complexes were within this area, including the CatCo building and L-Corp’s corporate headquarters; on average, there could be thousands of people on the streets in that area, especially during a work week.

That didn’t even cover people who might just be in the area for various appointments, meetings, random strolls and walks. That would put a large amount of people in the path of a species who cared little for the smaller beings they would be encountering.

The same thought passed through everyone within the command center, at the same moment sounds of a struggle reverberated through the room. “Report!” J’onn shouted, his command going to all three teams.

“Omega team has engaged with one of the targets!” shouted an agent, which sounded like Agent Morris, but it was hard to hear with various sounds of gunfire and crashing happening in the background.

“Supergirl’s got another…”

“We got an agent down! Repeat, agent down!”

There was a straight stream of nearly five minutes of chaos happening over the radios. All three teams seemed to have encountered three of the four Calendians that were being tracked; what concerned Maths and the others was where the fourth alien was. “Alpha team, we’ve lost target! May be heading your way.”

Other than the first communication from Supergirl that she had gotten eyes on one of the Calendians, there hadn’t been any word from her since or that of Alex or even Maggie, who Maths knew had to be somewhere near. There was no way the NCPD would be on the scene and the detective had not made contact with her fiancée.

“Alex? Supergirl?” the director called, listening for any word on the two. “Do you read?”

Silence. Nothing for nearly a minute before the normally chirper tambour of the super came across the line, though it sounded like she was out of breath. “We might have a situation here,” she said.

“What kind of situation?” asked Brainy.

“I’ve got one down and the other two may have taken offense to that. Uh oh.”

“What’s wrong?” asked J’onn.

“If you guys were wondering where that fourth Calendian got to,” Supergirl replied. “We’ve found him.”

“We?” Maths breathed out. There was no doubt in his mind now – Supergirl was on the scene with all four Calendians and there was a sure chance that Alex and most likely Maggie were with her. The auburn-haired took a deep breath, trying to calm his now rapidly beating heart. It was happening again, it was happening all over again and for a second time, he was going to be unable to stop it.

He had been sent back in time in order to stop these beings from doing whatever it was they were there to do, to prevent them from changing the timeline from what history currently showed. And that history had doomed him and gotten everyone in this building – and outside of it – killed. He couldn’t let that happen. Not again.

Backing away from Brainy, Maths turned and began to head towards the staircase. “Mr. Maths?” the Coluan asked, watching the man walk away. “Where’re you going?”

“To help.”

“And what exactly are you going to do?” asked J’onn. The Martian had been watching the young man for most of the morning, actually from the moment he realized he wasn’t able to sense his thoughts or feelings. Very few individuals were able to mask their emotions from the telepath – a few aliens whose physiology was made to withstand any type of mental intrusion – and humans were the one species that were actually very open and very susceptible to reading.

That had been a problem when J’onn had first landed on the planet – there was so much noise in the air, especially in cities where thousands or millions of people lived, their minds and emotions open, raging at those around them, their families, their friends, co-workers, etc. That was the reason he had been hiding out in the jungles of Peru in the first place; in fact, it had been Superman who had directed him to find some place quiet, so he could calm his own mind with the thoughts of many.

Also, it was the one place he hoped he wouldn’t be found.

The last time J’onn couldn’t read someone was when he had let Jeremiah Danvers back into the DEO. It was a decision that had cost him and the Danvers family and something he never wanted to repeated. The younger man before him had been the first human since Jeremiah that he couldn’t get a bead on and it worried him, though perhaps not in the way he immediately thought it would.

The Martian was almost sure Maths didn’t have an alterior motive in his actions, other than making sure that whatever event he was there to prevent didn’t happen. The fact that his attitude towards his agents, especially two in particular, was only alarming in the sense of what the man would do in the event something were to happen to them.

Such as this very moment.

Staring down the agency director, the young man reached into his pocket and pulled something out, his hand revealing a golden ring that J’onn was sure he had seen once before.

“Something I should’ve done from the beginning,” Maths said, placing the ring on his right fourth finger.

 

* * *

 

Diving from the sky, Supergirl flew down towards the downtown business district. She could hear Sanchez reporting that they were treating people with injuries on the west of the area and that at least one of the Calendians was heading down Carter. Banking to the right, she headed down Speeker, with the thought of cutting him off before he could do any damage.

She was nearly too late, catching the Calendian as he was about to bear down on some poor man walking his dog. The super didn’t bother to slow her momentum, instead using it to slam into the alien, knocking him off his feet and taking him at least a mile back the way he had come and pushed him into a street lamp, stopping them both and bending the lamp in half. It was a hard stop, one that would’ve broken anyone else’s back and Kara Danvers was going to be feeling the slight whiplash in her neck.

But the Calendian was down.

Or so she thought.

The alien, though slightly stunned, still managed to stand to his full height and stared down the superhero. Supergirl couldn’t be sure, but she thought this was one of the newer Calendians who had appeared from, well, wherever it was these aliens were coming from; if this was one of the previous aliens, they would’ve recognized her on sight. “So it’s true,” the alien murmured, narrowing his eyes at her.

“What’s true?”

“The others said there was a human female that protected this city,” the alien responded. “Oyogsne and I thought the idea ridiculous. Females, though strong, are still inferior to males on my planet.”

“First,” Supergirl stated, hands on her hips. “I just sacked you into a metal pole that would have broken anyone else’s spine. Second, we aren’t on your planet.”

That caused the Calendian to laugh. “Do you still think this is your planet?” he asked. “After we have gotten rid of you, my master has assured us this will be the first planet in the great Calendian empire.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” the super replied, taking an offensive stance. “You haven’t defeated me yet.”

The alien smirked at her, his eyes gaining a malicious glint that caused the hairs on the back of Kara’s neck to stand on end. It was a moment too late before she picked up the heavy stomps that were coming towards her, a set of two, one on either side, effectively enclosing in on her.

Looking at each of the aliens surrounding her, Supergirl let out a slight sigh. “This is gonna suck.”

 

* * *

 

Alex tried to ignore the sounds of combat over her earpiece, but it was a hard habit to break. As a team lead, not to mention the assistant director, the redhead prided herself on keeping in the loop for any mission and knowing exactly what was happening during those missions. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be there to help Beta or Omega Teams, not when she was leading Alpha, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel the guilt of not being able to be there.

The best way she could help now was doing what she was now, following Supergirl towards downtown and stopping the Calendians where she could. She had heard her sister call out that she had gotten eyes on one of the aliens down by Carter and Speeker, causing Alex to pull over to the side and jump out the car. She made her way down the Speeker, her favorite alien gun already in her hands, her eyes trained forward.

For the time of day, the street seemed eerily quiet, though the agent knew that was only because people had already gotten off the streets – hopefully – and were hiding in the buildings she passed. That had to be the case because she didn’t hear any screams of terror or pain coming from any part of the area, which was a good sign in the situation.

“Danvers!”

Looking to her right, Alex wasn’t surprised to see Maggie jogging towards her, apparently coming from a group of people that were being led out of an alley behind her. “Everything okay back there?” the agent asked, giving the group a backwards glance; neither woman stopping in their stride down the street.

Maggie nodded. “JD’s gonna escort those guys to somewhere safe,” she replied, her eyes looking around them. “What’s the situation?”

“Two teams engaged with at least two of the Calendians,” Alex explained, the two moving up the block and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. “And Supergirl may be engaged with another.”

“What’s the count?”

“Four.”

“But you’ve only gotten sight of three,” the detective responded. “Where’s the fourth?”

“Good question.”

The two continued to hurry down the street, clearly seeing some of the destruction that happened on the alien’s path, though Maggie was sure some of that was probably due to Supergirl’s fight. Speaking of which, the two could see the superhero standing a few meters away, looking down on the Calendian she had just taken out, and they could also see the other two aliens that were approaching her from either side.

Neither woman waited, aiming their guns and firing off a few rounds, ultimately getting the aliens’ attention to focus on them instead of the heroine. They got off two shots each, all in warning for the Calendians to step away from Supergirl. It got the Calendians’ attention, allowing Supergirl to knock the alien to her right back towards a deserted alcove across the street before turning her focus on the Calendian in front of her.

It took the other two Calendians a moment to realize what was happening, but by then, Kara was able to send a blistering punch to the alien’s chest before the third was able to grab her in a crushing hug. Maggie aimed her gun and took a shot that hit the third into the left arm, but it didn’t seem to move as much as it should’ve and it didn’t take the alien’s attention off the superhero. As the three women focused their attention on the three Calendians attacking, they had lost sight of the fourth, who had appeared along with his friends before seemingly disappearing. What they hadn’t known, was that the fourth – Oyogsne – had been making his way behind the group, directly behind Alex and Maggie.

Both women had their guns drawn and were yelling at To’vek to release the yellow haired female or they would open fire. The two females were walking slowly towards To’vek and Oyogsne knew that they wouldn’t stop unless he stopped them himself. Once they stopped, a few meters from his comrade, he moved, only hearing the yellow haired female shout for her party to beware a second before he knocked both women forward, forcing them to the ground and watching as they slid the few yards towards To’vek.

Quo’wazar, the Calendian who had been punched in the chest, was there to pick up one of the fallen females in his arms, just as Oyogsne got to the second. To’vek smiled at his fellow Qua’la before throwing his captive into the same alcove she had tossed Du’mluc, watching as the current Calendian leader caught the blonde before throwing her down before him. Quo’wazar and Oyogosne copied the gesture, throwing the two females into the alcove as well, knowing that their leader wouldn’t bother catching them.

Supergirl barely had enough time to stand before caught the brunt of both Alex and Maggie slamming into, forcing her back into the large dumpster that stood behind them. Even with a super powered Kryptonian breaking their fall, both agent and detective knew they would not only have bruises, but would be feeling the aches and pains for the rest of the week.

Alex was the first to somewhat recover, at least getting to a knee in her current state. She found herself between Kara on her right and Maggie on her left, with Supergirl recovering much faster than her two human counterparts. Once Kara was sitting up, the agent turned her attention to her fiancée, who thankfully wasn’t hurt other than the pain from her left shoulder when she landed on the concrete.

“We give you credit, little ones,” Du’mluc replied, gazing at the three females before them. The quartet stood at the entrance of the alcove, which actually opened into a much bigger alleyway than could be seen from the street proper. “Not many can stand up against one Calendian, let alone four. I commend you on your resilience.”

“You have our respect,” Oyogosne said. “But we will have your alliance.”

“That’s a tall order,” Maggie muttered, glaring at the Calendian.

“And one we don’t plan on observing,” added Alex.

“Then you will die!” To’vek shouted, beginning to advance on the group. “This planet is _ours_ now and you will either serve us or face the consequences.”

“Threatening us is about as helpful as a razor to a Wookie,” Supergirl supplied, noting the confused looks on the four aliens before them.

“Perfectly good insult wasted,” quipped the detective, sending a look to the superhero.

“Your words are meaningless,” replied To’vek. “As are your lives.”

The trio stood, battered and bruised, but more than willing to go out and take the Calendians with them, if it meant they prevented an even worse outcome. Both Alex and Maggie had lost their guns when they had been knocked down, which meant they’d only be able to handle the four using hand to hand, which given their overall strength put them at a distinct disadvantage. Supergirl had at least recovered somewhat, but even she knew she wouldn’t be able to take on all four Calendians at one time.

The alien quartet began to move, each knowing that once they got rid of these three protectors, their human benefactors could move forward with their plans, thus leading to the betterment of the Qua’la. Their combined strength would easily overpower the two latter humans, but the yellow haired one would definitely continue to fight, but she couldn’t fight all four of them.

The four rushed towards the humans, each roaring the traditional Calendian war cry, which gathered their anger, their blood lust, and quest for war together, enabling the species to draw on this power to increase their strength in battle. This fight would not last long, they would not toy with these females; Oyogosne had been correct in his assessment – at least three of them had respect for these humans.

They had expected them to cower in their presence and while many did, some of them stood up to the warrior species. Their benefactors had shown their cunning and intelligence and these three had shown their persistence when it came to stopping them. The yellow haired female had engaged them for the third time now and she was stronger and more agile than the other human females they had encountered.

It was a shame, really; in another time, they would’ve made good Calendian warriors.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion – the detective, the agent, and the superhero watched as the Calendians came towards them, their green faces fixed in rage as moved forward. For the Calendians, as their prey came closer, their cries grew louder, the siren call of battle urging them on. This fight would clearly be one sided and most likely wouldn’t last long, even if Alex and Maggie managed to put up a fight.

To’vek’s left arm was already raised as he and his comrades approached the three humans, his target the human female to his right. She had been the cause of the injuries he sustained previously and she had once again taken a shot at him. The look on her face showed that while she was ready to die for her pointless cause, she knew it would be useless.

She was going to die.

The course of battle seemed assured, which is why it came as a shock when the four were pushed back by several feet, towards the entrance of the alleyway. Meanwhile, the view for the three women went from clear to a deep purple before realizing they seemed to be encased into large, purple dome. If that wasn’t surprising enough, the source of the dome seemed to be standing before them.

The figure was dressed in black, with purple highlights throughout. The figure had grey armaments on both of his forearms, which ended in grey cutoff gloves that had a stripe of purple going through them. A grey utility belt went around the figures waist, leading to black pants that were covered from the knees down to grey and purple boots that matched the clothes.

It was clear that the suit was mesh, for easy movement but to also protect the wearer from any harm. The figure’s left arm was raised, seemingly producing the purple bubble from his very being, with little effort on his part. He turned slightly, glancing at Supergirl with eyes that were glowing with a slight violet tinge. “Stay here,” he replied, turning back to look at the Calendians spread out on the ground before them.

As they struggled to stand, the figure removed himself from the bubble, though it still maintained its structure, even as Alex and Supergirl tried to discover what this was and how they could escape. “You boys picked the wrong day to mess with me,” the figure said, glaring at the four aliens and getting their attention.

To’vek was the first one up, incensed and frustrated at the resilience of this species. Why didn’t they just know their place? He came charging at the young man, swinging left, then right, then left again, in an effort to strike the human before him; but every time, the man dodged his attacks, before striking him in the side with a right body blow, then ramming his left fist into the alien’s right shoulder, at the area that had injured.

The young man then hooked a leg behind the To’vek’s calf, taking the alien to the ground in surprise. Du’mloc caught the man’s eye, coming towards him to aid his fallen comrade, only to get a round energy blast to the face for his efforts. He was knocked to the side by one of the remaining aliens, rolling the two over on the ground. The Calendian got the upper hand however, and proceeded to try and strangle the young man, heedless to the yells that came from the bubbled females to his right.

Placing his hand on the alien’s chest, the figure used his power to push the Calendian off of him, causing him to fly back, over To’vek, and against the wall, stunning him.

“Maths!? What’s happening?”

“I could use some help,” the young man murmured, leaping to his feet and catching the oncoming alien with a right hook.

“That’s Maths?” Maggie questioned, watching as the young man battled another Calendian, all the while trying to keep the others down.

“We have to help him,” breathed Alex. The young man was holding his own for now, but it was a four on one fight and he couldn’t hold this for long.

“Omega and Beta teams are headed your way,” J’onn’s voice came into his ear.

Supergirl tried to punch her way out of their current bubble, to no avail. “We have to get out of here,” she said, looking around their entrapment. Blue eyes glowed as she powered her heat vision, striking a point in the bubble which began to fizzle as it widened and looked to give them a path out.

That is until the figure, who was indeed the mysterious stranger calling himself Dan Maths, turned and saw what was happening.

“Hey now,” he chastised, throwing a small force ball at the opening. “Stop that.”

“We’re trying to help you!” Alex shouted from inside.

“You’re in there for protection,” the young man stated. “Besides, I’m fi…”

The last word of his sentence was cut off, the large arms of one of the Calendians wrapping itself around his arms and hoisting him up. Maths struggled for a moment before throwing his head back into the face of the attacker, causing the alien to drop him back to the ground. Once there, Maths sent an elbow into the midsection before turning and throwing an energy ball at the Calendian forcing him back into at least one of his friends, knocking them both to the ground.

Maths was only able to give a stern, “Stay there, please” to the women behind him before his attention was once again on the aliens in the alleyway.

While Alex and Supergirl were trying to get of the bubble around them, Maggie had been watching the fight before her. Or rather, the young man involved in the fight. From the moment his name had entered her lexicon, the detective had been trying to figure out what the young man’s angle was. He said he had come from the future to prevent something that the Calendians were trying to do here, in his past.

As fantastical as that was, it did give the man a reason for being where he was, at the time he needed to be. However, given his knowledge of her, Alex, Kara, the DEO…that hadn’t sat well with her, even when she gave some plausible reasons as to how Maths was able to get the information he had. His knowledge of Clark Kent’s Kryptonian name and even the language itself _was_ strange and something she couldn’t write off immediately.

But ever since he had provided her backup in that warehouse earlier in the week had changed her viewpoint slightly. It was clear Maths had some combat training, something that was related to a future NCPD she was sure, but watching him fight now, she wasn’t seeing the standard self-defense training that was normally given to new recruits. The young man’s movements were of someone who was a near expert in hand to hand, something that he couldn’t have just picked up randomly or by watching someone else.

Alex must’ve noticed her fiancée’s focus had shifted because she was suddenly watching the young man as well. While Maggie often threw around the fact that, as a detective, she detected things, Alex was a scientist and it was her job to observe. That was the reason she had been suspicious of Maths since Kara revealed he knew who she was – his knowledge of them wasn’t something easily routed out, as Maggie had helpfully suggested.

Upon becoming an agent with the DEO, fake credentials were created to throw people off, supplying only base information like name, date of birth, and FBI agent number. Familiar ties were only noted in basic terms – parents, siblings – and in many cases, any spouses or children were never listed for obvious kidnapping and extortion reasons. Even a standard name search could turn up many varieties of the last name Danvers, so connecting her to scientist Eliza Danvers was coincidence.

But as she watched Maths do his best to fight off four alien invaders – and insisting that he didn’t need any help, when he clearly did and would – Alex reverted to observing instead of suspecting. Though his fight style had a personal tint to it, the agent recognized it as a form of Krav Maga, a popular military style of self-defense and such, the very style that the DEO and she herself taught to new agents. Maggie had mentioned that his firing stance was something that was taught at the police academy.

Was this evidence that Maths had been telling the truth? Did his future contain involvement with both the NCPD and the DEO? It was an interesting idea – it had a rough go between her and Maggie on that first crime scene, jurisdiction possessiveness notwithstanding, and it was only their growing work relationship – and romantic relationship – that had prompted Alex to suggest that Maggie be their go between with the NCPD’s Science Division.

As far as the agent knew, that was a first for the department, though given that they actually had a small team that worked on alien focused cases that could free up their other officers and thus quell a growing unrest within the alien community about the crimes against them going unnoticed or unrecognized. Did Maths come from a future where the two departments were more intertwined?

“I can’t get us out of here,” Supergirl huffed beside them. She had tried to dislodge the small cork that Maths had forcefully pushed through in her ready made escape hole and apparently, that had been a lucky area for her to breakthrough. The rest of the dome was not so easily punched through. “And I’m starting to think that our friend Maths isn’t human.”

Alex and Maggie spared the super with twin looks of deadpanned annoyance for the obvious observation. “That would seem to be the case,” Alex retorted, earning her own look from the blonde.

“Not necessarily,” Supergirl huffed. “He could be like a metahuman, you know like the ones Barry deals with.”

“He said he was from the future,” Maggie stated. “Not another parallel universe. And I’ve seen this type of power before.”

“Yeah, me too,” murmured Alex, wracking her brain to try and figure out _how_ she recognized it.

“Well, there’s a lot of alien species that have powers,” Supergirl replied. “Though there’s only so many that have _these_ kinds of powers. The Oods have energy based powers, don’t they? But they also look like those aliens in the cantina band. Oh wait! There’s the Trylaacs.”

“What’s a Trylaac?” asked Maggie.

“He’s not a Trylaac,” Alex dismissed. “Trylaacs have horns.”

“No, they don’t.”

“Yes, they do,” the agent said. “And there are only two species that create energy based defenses – Ichniebles and…”

Alex trailed off, as her mind caught up to her thought. Maggie caught on at the same time and her eyes went wide. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it all sooner, especially when everything had been right in front of them this entire time.

Maths still held his own, but he’d be lying if he couldn’t use some help right now. He was actually regretting putting the others in his protective bubble, as it would’ve evened out the odds. But the whole point was to make sure he was able to protect them; he had failed last time and he wasn’t going to fail again.

As with the start of the battle, time seemed to slow down for a fraction of a second. Maths blocked and countered a hit that came from his right, but ended up pushed into the protective barrier he had erected to keep the other three from harm. While the occupants inside had been unable to breech it, apparently the creator could drop the bubble at any time or by any means.

Like a water color dissipating, the dome around the women shimmered out of existence, leaving Supergirl free to use her freeze breath on the Calendian that grappled with the younger man. At the same time, the sounds of squealing tires made their way through the alleyway, while realization finally set in for the three that stood in the back near the dumpster. The knowledge of them, the familiarity with the DEO, the reluctance of giving answers, knowing Spanish, knowing Kryptonian, knowing who Kal-El truly was…

The protectiveness the young man seemed to harbor over Maggie, the plea to Alex to allow them to let him assist them in this, knowing Supergirl’s true identity.

Alex was right – very few alien species had the power to contort energy in such a way to be used the way Maths had. The only other species who could do such a thing were Talgarians, however their species was unique in the fact that they had such control of their abilities, they could chose and take whatever form they wanted. Most utilized their ability for telepathy and shapeshifting, though very few could do both – the way Green Martians were able to – however, the uniqueness of these abilities meant there could be potential issues should the beings ever discovered Earth.

However, the Talgarians _had_ discovered Earth or rather, a slave ship had come to Earth with the objective of taking members of the vast alien community back with them, while also delivering their own supply of available and ready slaves. Due to that ship, there _was_ a Talgarian on Earth and there was only one Talgarian that all three women knew of.

“Mattie!?”

The stranger that had been masquerading as Dan Maths, who had immediately come to the aid of Supergirl, Alex, and Maggie, dressed in a full mesh suit, who had placed all three into a dome of some kind, casually turned to look at the three, with a small smile.

“Actually,” he replied. “I go by Matt now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The look of the suit goes to [this image](https://www.deviantart.com/tsbranch/art/Cosmic-Boy-365682990) from tsbranch on Deviant Art. i stumbled across their work when I was trying to find images for Cosmic Boy and I thought their design idea was perfect.
> 
> They have a bunch of other LSH character designs, which are equally awesome.


	11. Chapter X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is revealed about Dan Maths and seemingly brings all ties to a close. But a turn of events may change things once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick FYI - I'm super behind this season, so you may not see any mention of the show's current events in upcoming chapters. It will also depend on how related the show's events work into this story, they may not, but they may come into play in the crossover idea I have.

It had come to this.

Despite trying to keep a low profile, to keep any former affiliation between himself and the others, all it took was one large scale attack and the truth was revealed.

Dan Maths was in reality, Matt Danvers.

It was a stunning revelation, especially in how it had presented itself. Matt could tell the three women behind him were reeling about it, but now was not the time to discuss it further. DEO agents were securing the defeated Calendians, cuffing them and pulling them into a containment van, a mobile unit for such times in which they needed to capture an alien onsite.

The young man easily took charge of the situation, giving directions to the agents as they came on the scene. It only took a slight nod from their assistant director to let them know that this young man, who had been roaming the halls of their headquarters for the last few days, was the authority on-scene unless otherwise stated. It was a stark contrast from a week ago, when Alex would’ve been happy to keep the younger man within a containment cell and to be honest, the thought still lingered in the AD’s mind.

Especially if this turned out to be some sort of trick.

Matt must’ve known the thoughts that seemed to linger in the trio's heads because he turned to them, his body no longer taut with anticipation of an attack or tight with worry in protecting those he loved, and sighed. “I know you have questions,” he said, seeing the still bewildered looks that were shared by all three. “Probably a billion and five questions, but I think it might be better if we reserve those until we get back to the DEO.”

Alex nodded. “That’s actually a good idea.”

“It is?” the man asked, confused by the sudden change in tone. “I mean, yes. Yes, you’re right, it is.”

“Why don’t you ride back with us?”

And there it was. Matt had forgotten how easy it was for his mother to switch from being sweet when she was secretly planning something, which in this case was most likely a very thorough interrogation. While he knew that they needed to speak about this, he suddenly found himself nervous at the prospect of having to explain everything – his past, his present, and the future.

“Uh…” he stumbled. “You know…that…I would…I would love to do that, but uh…um…” His brow furled, causing a small crease between, while his cheeks filled with air as he tried to think of a way to escape.

Seeing a passing agent, Matt immediately grabbed him by the arm and threw one of his own around the agent’s shoulders. “Um…” he began, looking at the agent with a knowing expression.

“Uh, Johnson, sir,” the agent mumbled, looking at the group in confusion.

“Johnson!” Matt declared. “Johnson here…has requested that I ride with him back to the DEO because he…he is quite worried about the Calendians.”

Again, confused, the agent looked between the four. “Uh, no, I…”

“It’s fine, Johnson,” Matt interrupted, quickly. “You do not have to be afraid because there is nothing wrong with having fear in the face of...a…potentially dangerous situation that could result in your death, which you hope it will not, because you so very much want to live.”

“Uh…”

“Listen to this eager beaver!” the younger man exclaimed. “Yes, of course, Johnson, you are absolutely right. We should be going.”

Matt began to push the agent towards one of the SUVs, causing Maggie and Kara to trade looks. If the auburn haired man hadn’t been in such a rush to escape a lengthy conversation with both his mothers and aunt, he would’ve noticed that he wasn’t heading _anywhere_ near the containment vans at all. “So we’ll see you three lovely, beautiful, gorgeous ladies back at the DEO,” he continued. “Which is where we are headed and nowhere else. Johnson, you crazy, you know we have to go back to headquarters. You rascal, you. So, you know, headquarters. That’s…so we’re going.”

Poor Agent Johnson had apparently gotten caught up in some weird thing between Dan Maths, the assistant director, the NCPD detective, and Supergirl, which if he wasn’t involved would’ve been quite interesting. As he was being pushed towards one of their standard cars, which in no way would have ever fit one of those aliens they had captured, he heard the younger man whispering in his ear.

“Get in the car and drive. And don’t stop driving.”

“Where…?”

“Don’t care, just continue driving until we reach Tijuana or Europe or anywhere else that isn't here.”

 

* * *

 

Despite telling Johnson to drive to somewhere that wasn’t the DEO and even directing him to drive around the block several times, Matt still managed to make it to the building just as they were delivering the captured Calendians to the containment cells on the lower level. Worst of all, it seemed both J’onn and Brainy were looking for him, awaiting his arrival in the main lobby of the DEO as agents were flowing in.

He only managed to escape their gaze because the director was busy directing the rogue aliens to their cells and Brainy had been called over to investigate something on another agent’s computer screen. He quickly made his way up to one of the conference rooms, ducking under the table, with the hopeful story that he was looking for something, possibly.

It wasn’t that Matt didn’t want to speak to the others – he did! – but he also hadn’t expected this to actually happen. He had been truthful to Mon-El when he stated he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his own future and he meant it when he said he could handle being around people who, in his own time, were dead. He just…didn’t think it would be as hard as it turned out to be.

Matt wasn’t naïve. He knew his family held dangerous jobs, had known ever since Maggie adopted him, and this certainly wasn’t the first time he had been worried about them. However, this time he had seen what the outcome could be if something _did_ wrong, if the wrong person came to town and they couldn’t be beaten. Facing off against Darkseid and his ilk had been a huge defeat for them, one they hadn’t necessarily recovered from; the only reason why the future even held for the 31 st century was because of the help the 21st had received from the Legion of Superheroes.

And even then, Darkseid was just pushed back into a corner, just waiting for the moment when they would be vulnerable again so he could reemerge and finish what he had started.

So caught up in his thoughts, Matt didn’t hear the approach of footsteps until Kara’s “There you are!” scared him senseless, causing him to jump and slam his head against the underside of the table he was hiding under, a curse in Kryptonian exiting from his mouth as he did.

“Vasquez mentioned you might be hiding up here.”

Sliding out from under the table, Matt stood, rubbing the sore spot at the back of his head as he did so. He wasn't terribly surprised to see the whole gang assembled and walking into the conference room he had, ultimately, been hiding in.

“What?” he asked, chuckling nervously. “I wasn’t hiding. I was…I…dropped a quarter under the table. Clearly. And I was…waiting for you, to talk to you. Here. In this room, obviously. I wasn’t…”

Matt watched as they began taking seats around the table, before sticking his head out the door, making sure he could clearly see the senior agent on the floor below. “I wasn’t hiding up here, Susan!” he exclaimed. “And you can forget about that jacket!” Closing the door, he continued murmuring, “She’s not getting a Christmas present, I tell you what.”

Turning, the younger man was met with equal looks of suspicion and questioning. J’onn sat at the head to Matt's right, while Kara and Brainy were across from him and to the right of J'onn; Alex and Maggie sat to the Martian's left. “You said you’d give us some answers,” Kara replied, using her Supergirl voice.

“I did say that,” Matt stated, making his way towards the other end of the table, though he did end up standing near where Maggie sat. “Did we get the Calendians all squared away?”

J’onn nodded. “Whatever you did,” he began. “Has kept those four knocked out. They haven’t woken up yet, though we did put them in cells directly next to our first friend. I’m sure they’ll have a lot to say once they _do_  wake up.”

“Good,” the younger man murmured. “That’s good.”

“I believe you're deflecting from what is the current situation,” Brainy said. “While the Calendians are a consideration, from my understanding, this meeting is not about them.”

Matt sighed. "Succinct as ever, Brainy."

“I think we can get the obvious question out of the way,” J’onn added.

So Alex asked that very question. “Who are you?”

Matt gave the agent a look, one that was tinged with a bit of disappointment. “You already know who I am,” he whispered.

“You have to say it,” Maggie said. “If you are who you say you are, then you know why.”

The younger man nodded. “Because saying it makes it real,” he repeated back to her, something she had told him years ago. “My name is Matt Danvers. You know me, here, in this timeline, as Mattie Sawyer.”

“How we know you are who you say you are?” Alex asked.

“Seriously?” Matt exclaimed, incredulously. “Even after I write down the address to my grandmother’s house in Midvale, Tia Ana's in Blue Springs, Maggie’s real name, and your wedding date and you still…?” The young man chuckled. “You’re far more paranoid than I give you credit for, Allie.”

Seeing the unamused look on the agent’s face, Matt sighed. “Alright then,” he said. “Ask me something. Ask me something that only your son would know.”

Maggie turned to throw a look over her shoulder at Alex, who met it with a look of her own. The detective already had her suspicions, piecing together previous events, but she knew her fiancée needed more than just someone’s word; she needed proof and if Maggie was honest, so did she. It was easy for someone to state they were someone else, proving it was an entirely different matter.

“Where was the first place I ever took you?” she finally asked.

“That’s a trick question,” Matt replied. “The first place you ever took me was the station, after you rescued me. Then we went through the drive-thru of the Shake Shack and we ate burgers in the car, in the parking lot of that park."

Despite being an adult, it was one of his childhood memories that he clearly remembered to that day. He had already been frightened by not only being away from his parents and planet, but he was in a strange environment with very unfriendly people who just looked for an excuse to inflict pain on the others around him. He still recalled the way Maggie looked when she and Dan Turpin had seen him in that little bitty cell, how she had stayed with him so he wouldn't be alone, how even after she had been told he would be heading to foster care, the detective had passionately said that she'd rather have him with her than lost in the system.

"Pepper Park," he continued, the scene conjured in his mind. "Do you remember?”

“Yes,” Maggie whispered, her internal surprise only masked by the sentimental memories of that night, that first night Mattie had found himself in her care. Like the auburn-haired man, she had also been taken back to that night she, Dan, and the whole of the NCPD raided a storehouse that was hiding an illegal transporter and ship, unaware that the former were being used to transport slaves.

He had been right, her question did have a trick to it - if this had been an impostor, they would've said the apartment or maybe some child-friendly place to help ease the boy's transition. No one other than the two of them, and later Alex, knew about that first night spent in each other's company, both of them scared of the new situation they had been thrust into. 

“So you changed your name then?” asked Kara, confused. It would be one thing if he had maintained the last name of Sawyer and while having the shared last name was a bonus, it didn't really explain why he would switch.

Matt looked at his mothers. “Do I?”

Alex smirked. “Obviously,” she chuckled, slightly. Seeing the look on Kara’s face, she sighed. “We were going to talk to you about it,” she said, sending a sheepish look towards Matt. “I was actually a little apprehensive, because I wasn’t sure how you’d take to the idea.”

She wasn’t sure _when_ she had gotten it, but once the idea was there, Alex didn’t want to let it go. She and Maggie had talked about last names, whether they wanted to take the other’s or hyphenate; the Latina had wanted to take hers. She had stopped being a Rodas when she was fourteen and becoming a Sawyer had been the means to an end.

Alex and the rest of her family and friends had taken Maggie in, the first family outside of her fellow officers that had treated her like a person and not an abomination. Outside of her title and position, Maggie was more than happy to change her last name to one she actually wanted. It was that support that made Alex approach her fiance about adopting her son, _their_ son, and making sure that he felt just as included as Maggie.

“I think you could say I took the idea rather well,” Matt smiled. His eyes widened for a moment, before he removed the ring that sat on his right fourth finger. “Oh, that reminds me,” he replied, while doing so. Holding up the ring, he addressed the Martian. “Sorry J’onn, for the psychic block, but I figured you’d find me out if I didn’t.”

The Martian nodded, the answer to his lingering questions finally being addressed. "That certainly explains a lot," he noted.

“That’s a Legion ring.”

All eyes turned to Brainy, whose own were fixated on the gold ring Matt held. “Yes, it is.”

Matt handed the ring over, stating, “Mon-El found me after…after. The Legion is the reason my timeline has been able to survive in the aftermath of Darkseid. I couldn’t not help in kind, could I?”

Brainy examined the ring, noting the same construction and skill that went into his original idea and design. This was certainly confirmation of the young man at least being a Legion member as he had suspected. Handing the ring back, Brainy watched as the younger man studied it in return. “As you know," he murmured, addressing his fellow Legion member, but making his voice loud enough for the others to hear. "The Legion only accepts members that have powers that are extraordinary and internally based.”

“Your aptitude and intelligence has been exhibited and noted since you were young,” Brainy said, giving Matt a look. “Well...younger, as the case may be. In retrospect, I’m not entirely surprised you’d be accepted.”

“Careful, Brainy,” the younger man smirked. “I might actually think that was a compliment.”

“It wasn’t, I assure you,” the Coluan retorted, though there was hardly any malice in his words. He had a strange, yet sweet rivalry with the younger version of the man before them, their intelligence and knowledge of their level of intellect could often times cause them to butt heads, in what both would call in the other as, ‘insufferable’. However, they also both had a fondness for each other, as two misplaced aliens could on the same planet.

“If not for the Legion,” Matt continued. “There may not actually have _been_ a 31 st century. World War III nearly destroyed the planet, I mean, extremely close. But as I said, I couldn’t just sit and watch from the sidelines, not when it was my world and my timeline that was so horribly affected. Talgarian I may be, but Earth has been and always shall be my home.”

The young man chuckled. “You could say I’m a bit of a cosmic boy, in that sense.”

Friendly ribbing and joking aside, there was a lot of information that had been discussed. Learning who Dan Maths truly was could possibly complicate matters in terms of how they approached their current threat, coupled with the possible dangers of influencing a future they were now aware of.

“So what now?” Maggie asked.

Matt opened his mouth to answer, but stopped. What _did_ he do now?

“Well,” he began, slowly. “I guess…I guess I round up the Calendians and take them back with me. That takes them out of play and hopefully, stopped whatever plan they had.” Seeing his aunt about to speak, he quickly interrupted, waving her off. “I know there’s still those missing people and a murder to solve, but…I was tasked to discover what the Calendians were doing and to stop them. And…I did that, barring obvious questions that need to be asked.”

“There’s also the very friendly and uncooperative doctor that was brought in,” Brainy added. “His help has been most…unhelpful.”

“Of course,” Matt replied, sarcastically. “Why would things go smoothly? That would be silly.”

“It would certainly add to the normal everyday encounters we usually have,” the Coluan stated.

The Talgarian gave him a look. “Aw, Brainy, I’ve missed you.”

“If you can manage to stay a bit longer,” J’onn said. “Maybe we can get you some answers before you leave.”

Matt agreed. “Any answers are certainly better than none.”

The director nodded, pushing himself from the table and standing. “After you’re done here, come down and we’ll see if we can talk to that doctor.”

It was a signal that their meeting was over, as the others also stood, however both Maggie and Alex lingered, while the other three began to file out. Maggie stopped the younger man with a quick, “Mattie, a word before you go.”

“Someone’s in trouble,” Kara murmured, though her sing-song voice was easy to be heard.

“He’s not in trouble,” Alex amended.

“No,” Brainy disagreed. “Even I can tell that Mr. Maths is more than likely in trouble for his previous actions.”

“And yet, despite knowing that, you’re still leaving,” Matt huffed.

“Yep,” J’onn happily supplied, ushering the others out and closing the door behind them.

“You all suck!”

And like that, there were three. Maggie wasn’t sure what she should be feeling, other than bewilderment and fascination. She was a detective, she detected – as she enjoyed reminding Alex – so while this young man before her had been explaining himself, she tried to find any lie or falsehood in his statements. She couldn’t help but notice the posture, the gestures, his speech pattern, facial features…

Against all odds, this mysterious stranger who had arrived very suspiciously into their timeline, was indeed an older version of the child that was staying at her future mother-in-law’s home. Granted, this could easily be a trick – a stranger pretending to be Mattie, but Maggie was sure this wasn’t the case. All of the weird occurrences she, Alex, J’onn and others had noted suddenly made sense.

Of course, he would know Kara’s alter ego – she was his aunt.

Of course, he’d know his way around the DEO – even his younger self had been in the building more than once.

Of course, he’d know the standard firing stance of the NCPD – Mattie had always claimed he wanted to become a detective just like her one day. That fact only made his knowledge of the DEO even more solid; since meeting Alex, the young boy had wanted to achieve the goal of being a DEO agent, along with being a member of the NCPD, stating numerous times of his lofty goal to be a 'detective agent'.

And of course, he’d be overly protective of them; he always had been, even as a child.

“Before you get mad,” he began.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” asked Alex.

“Before you get mad,” Matt repeated. “There’s obviously a reason.”

“You weren’t planning on telling us any of this, were you?” Maggie asked, watching as he sighed and shook his head.

“Honestly, I had hoped I could do this without alerting any of you to who I was,” he admitted. “I just…didn’t realize how hard that would be or that _some_ people wouldn’t trust me.” He leveled a look at Alex.

“Can you honestly blame me?” the agent countered. “Especially when you show up knowing the true identity of Supergirl _and_ seemingly knowing people who don’t know you?”

“I tried to tell you I was a friend," the young man protested. "And that I wasn't a danger, but you didn't listen." Seeing the look Alex threw at him, he withered slightly with the tone he was using. "Ok, yes, my behavior was super suspicious and yeah, I…didn’t exactly think things through.”

“Obviously.”

“Glad to see you haven’t gotten rid of that patented Danvers stubbornness,” Maggie joked.

“Oh, you’ll be happy to know I managed to hone that expert snark you’re known for.”

“Sounds about right,” Alex smirked.

Matt considered the two women before him, the two most important people in his life, who had helped shape him into the man he was. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “You’re right; I _wasn’t_ planning on telling any of you about myself, about…who I was. Time travel is…finicky at best, especially when in a timeline where a younger version of yourself is running around.

“I kinda assumed you guys would help me once I told you about the hostile aliens coming to cause chaos to the world, which yes, in hindsight, was incredibly stupid because why would you believe such a story from a complete stranger. Which, now that I think about it, mentioning that _I_ was an alien probably would’ve cut down the suspicions. I probably should’ve lead with that.”

“Oh my god,” Alex muttered. Looking at Matt, she asked, “You realize that your pseudonym is an anagram, right?” At Matt’s look, she said, “It’s your name reversed? Mat S Dan?”

“Huh,” the young man replied, a stunning realization coming to his senses. “I actually didn’t mean to do that. It’s not even a very good anagram, now that I think about it. I literally made it up.” The two women looked at him. “I panicked! You put me in a containment cell and you were asking me pointed questions that I couldn’t possibly answer without, you know, giving away important information.”

“Well, now that we know,” Maggie stated, giving her adult son a meaningful look. “I’m going to guess that any important information will be given if asked?”

“As long as it doesn’t breach the whole future time continuum, then yes, ma’am.”

“Go on,” Alex said, nodding her head towards the door. “I’m sure you’ll wanna change and we have some stuff downstairs. Which I take you won’t need an escort to get down there.”

“I know the way,” Matt said, smiling at the agent. He only took a few steps before he stopped and turned towards them once again. “There’s something I wanna do, but…you’ll think it’s weird.”

“I can honestly say that receiving an odd request from my adult son from the future is not as weird as you think,” the detective admitted. “What is it?”

Without a word, Matt wrapped his arms around both of them in a hug, the same way his younger version usually did when he had access to both. As startling as the sudden hug was, it didn’t stop either woman from reciprocating the gesture. He was obviously taller than the version they knew currently and he was more toned than their five year old, but it was hard to dismiss the different mannerisms that clearly identified him as Mattie Sawyer.

Both had heard the statement that mothers always know about their children, that some instinct was developed within a woman once she had a child and that the bond between the two grew as they did. Maggie had always dismissed the notion - she was a cop and as a cop, she’d seen what parents could do to their children. Mistreatment, abuse, malnutrition…the depths people would go through, would put others through, especially their own child…

Any idea that there was a connection between parent and child had been dropped as she watched her father drive off, leaving her at the doorstep of her aunt.

Alex hadn’t believed the idea either. She was a scientist by nature and finding logic in the most insane ideas had been the one thing that pulled her out of any funk she’d ever been in. But then again, even Alex couldn’t explain how her mother could know when she needed something or needed to tell her something big. Eliza Danvers always seemed to know when both her daughters needed her, never hesitating to answer their call, and despite their sometimes combative arguments, the DEO agent none the less appreciated the times her mother knew when she was needed.

However, at that moment, both Alex and Maggie knew without a doubt that this young man from the future was indeed their son. He had the same nervous rambling that he’d most likely picked up from Alex, the same stubborn determination that Maggie had cultivated since her own childhood, and the same mannerisms that they had both noticed in the smaller version.

“’m sorry,” came the murmured. “I’m so sorry.”

“Hey,” Maggie whispered, feeling the slight tremor that passed through him. She pulled back, causing Mattie to do the same, and showing the pool of tears that had gathered in his eyes. “Hey,” she repeated, placing a hand against his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

Matt shook his head, taking a deep breath to calm himself against emotions that were starting to overwhelm him.

“Beanie,” Alex said, looking at the man. “What’s happened?”

Again, Matt took a breath and he managed to calm himself down. As much as the young man knew he could trust these two – always had, always would regardless of space and time – he couldn’t in good conscious tell them that he had watched their deaths, watched as the DEO had come down, crushing them and the others in the rubble. Not only would that be giving away aspects of a probable future that might come to pass, but it was hard enough remembering the event without the added burden of having to tell the victims their fates.

“It’s just…” he started, looking away in embarrassment. Turning back to look at them, he instead gave them both a smile. “It’s good to see you. As crazy as that may sound.”

Alex shook her head, matching his smile with one of her own. “It’s not crazy.”

“I’d better…”

“Go on,” the agent replied, nodding her head towards the door.

Both women watched as Matt left the room, turning his head to give them one last smile before he headed downstairs towards the building’s locker room. “Oh my god, Mags,” Alex murmured. “That’s our son.”

“I know,” the detective responded. “Puberty is going to be a bitch.”

“Ugh, right!?”

Mattie was an adorable child, friendly and helpful, with a good nature that was almost in a direct contrast to his alien species. It seemed those same traits had only grown as the boy had, creating a very attractive outer and inner personality. Though he was still a child in this time, it hadn’t escaped the knowledge of both Maggie and Alex that Mattie entering puberty would be a test for all involved, not just because of the boy’s nature, but also the complexities of an alien teen who was as flirty as he was friendly.

“We’re going to be literally, and probably figuratively, beating girls off him.”

“We should probably start thinking about taking action,” Maggie agreed. “Like putting him in a tower or something.”

“With a moat,” Alex added. “Nothing says ‘off-limits’ like a moat.”

 

* * *

 

Dr. Richard Rafley looked around his cell, wondering how his life had taken such a turn. He had dedicated his life and career to saving lives, something that had gotten him invested in learning more about the alien species that had started to inhabit the city. It had been a curiosity at first, wanting to learn more about the difference in biology between humans and aliens, and even one alien species versus another.

One avenue after another had led him to regard the increasing influx of alien life as, well, a nuisance. He certainly wasn’t like that Alan Jeffs, who decried them as stealing jobs and livelihoods from Americans, but he recognized that the more aliens there were, the more the community were up in arms about it. This of course meant more protests and more attacks on both sides.

It was utter chaos and something Rafley could do without.

But that interest had somehow garnered the attention of someone higher than his paygrade, if that could be believed. And that attention had pretty much gotten him here, wherever here was; it was clearly one of those black ops corporations that were most likely running the city. He’d heard the rumors – a covert government agency that dealt with capturing and/or aiding the alien population.

They were another addition to the problem. The last thing the city needed was an organization that catered to supplying an already tricky alien situation.

It had been at least two days since his incarceration and he had already been approached by two of the ‘agents’ that worked here for information. He was US citizen and most importantly, a human, so he knew what his rights were and that meant he wouldn’t be saying anything unless he had access to his lawyer, which had been denied.

Rafley was middle-aged, nearly fifty, however his dark blond hair didn’t show any signs of grey. His face had started growing stubble without his ability to shave every morning as he did and thankfully, his healthy eating and exercising habits had helped to stave off his self-imposed hunger strike.

Today’s interrogation looked to be no different, with only a seemingly new agent coming to question him. He was flanked by the original female agent that had come to question him the first day he had arrived and a slightly shorter woman dressed in a blue windbreaker. “Dr. Rafley, was it?” the younger man asked, as the trio approached. He was dressed in the same non-descript black military ops style clothing as the woman to his right, though the doctor noted he didn’t seem to have any noticeable weapons.

“You’re free to go,” the man continued.

Rafley looked at the man in suspicious confusion. “I’m free to go?” he repeated.

“Well,” the man replied, shrugging slightly. “I should say you’re free to leave here to go into the custody of Det. Sawyer here, for conspiracy and most likely treason.”

“What!?”

“Oh, we caught your alien friends a short time ago,” the female agent stated. “They seemed more than happy to talk. Mostly about you.”

“They pretty much stated you were the mastermind behind the whole thing,” the man continued. “That you, and you alone, planned the immediate takeover of the US government in hopes of furthering some overarching plan that you didn’t share with them, but you definitely wanted to cause a panic within the city.”

“That’s not true!” Rafely cried, coming closer to the plexiglass. “They’re lying! They know full well that they were contacted by Marks!”

“Governor Marks?” the detective asked.

“Yes!” the doctor shouted. “Th-they met together a few weeks ago. Marks is working with some shady covert operation…”

The doctor trailed off. He wasn’t sure what organization he was working with, just that they had ties to the Children of Liberty and while he didn’t spend a lot of time supporting them, he did believe in the message of their cause. When he had been approached by the man only known as Hennessy, Rafley was under the impression that his knowledge and work would be used to help humanity against what seemed to be a growing alien threat.

He had only met one of their members, a human-cyborg hybrid that wasn’t afraid to use intimidation as a means to greet people. That man also tended to wear all black and Hennessy certainly liked wearing military garb. Had this all been a test? Was this imprisonment just a test of faith?

“Is this a test?” he asked, quietly, looking between the three. “Are you testing my loyalty? Because I am very loyal to the cause, I assure you!”

“What are you talking about?” asked the younger man.

“You’ll note that I did exactly as asked,” Rafley continued. “I made sure to cite that Marks was the main point of contact, as to throw people off the true nature of the project. However, if I may say, I wouldn’t count on those aliens we have working for us.”

“Oh yeah?” Alex asked, playing along. “Why’s that?”

“I honestly don’t trust them and I believe they would sooner turn on us than actually help us,” Rafley confessed. “I’m not really sure I understand their purpose, but I’m a man of medical science so I’m certainly not going to dismiss an opportunity to examine a species such as these Calendians.”

Matt threw a look to both of his mothers. After getting dressed in the standard DEO gear, Matt had decided to take J’onn’s offer to speak to the man who had been brought in thanks to the pseudo raid he and Maggie had done on that warehouse after Monday's speech. The man, whom they had discovered was a Dr. Richard Rafley, a recently disbarred physician at the University of Southern California Medical Center, had been very closed lipped about his presence and relationship to the two Calendians that the detective had traced to that location.

The young man honestly didn’t think his arrival would do anything to make the doctor talk, until he got the idea of making the man believe that he was being charged with aiding and abetting the Calendians. It was a gamble that seemed to actually pay off.

“As a fellow scientist,” Alex started. “I kinda agree with you. And just between us, while the species is interesting, they're definitely a ‘handle with care’ case. I’m still a bit new here, but I have to ask. What exactly were they thinking in getting this particular group of aliens for the cause?”

Rafley’s stance relaxed, his belief that he was surrounded not only by the very group he was working with, but like minded individuals was all he needed to let his guard drop. “I don’t know,” he admitted, leaning towards the AD. “There are certainly plenty of aliens already in the city, but if I had to hazard a guess, these particular beings are more than happy to get rid of their alien counterparts.

“They’re very similar to tribes who want to be rid of their surrounding competitors. I think these individuals want to be top dog around here, though it should be made clear that we’re trying to cut down on the alien populace. These refugees are only going to make things harder for us humans to thrive in our own city and our own planet.”

All three had to bite their tongues to avoid responding the way they truly wanted to. It was thinking like this that made being a member of ‘the others’ such a hard and difficult transition; Maggie had seen her share of mistreatment of the aliens who called National City their new home, with humans reacting the way most did when encountering something or someone who was different.

Alex had that same reaction, at least until Maggie had shown her the alien dive bar and those who inhabited it. She had tried to reason that her attitude had been an extension of Hank Henshaw’s management, however that wasn’t entirely true, as by the time she had joined the DEO, J’onn had replaced Henshaw and had sought Alex out intentionally. While the Martian tried to keep the true nature of himself and Henshaw from others by maintaining the level of secrecy and involvement that his predecessor, it didn’t excuse her previous behavior, especially in light of her own relationship to aliens.

It was this kind of thinking that had led Ben Lockwood to starting the Children of Liberty, a very right-wing group concerned with the preservation of the human species that dominated the planet of Earth. And Earth had no room for an alien population that only wanted to contribute to it. Catching and convicting Lockwood, especially with the Vice President's help, had only furthered the thinking of human superiority, which had then increased the violence within the growing alien community.

This was reason Maggie had championed for fostering Mattie after finding him and the reason both women sought to ensure their son wouldn’t encounter such things as he grew up. Thankfully Matt’s own humanized look made him exempt from the teasing and harassment he knew others went through, but it was also the reason he may have gotten into the amount of trouble he did in junior high and high school.

If not for the his own appearance, the one J’onn held, the face of Kara Danvers and thus Supergirl, and the devices that had been developed by L-Corp, many of those “refugees” Rafley was hinting at would immediately be attacked - and had been - on sight.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Matt replied. “I think that’s all we need from you.” Nodding, he immediately turned and began to head out, Alex and Maggie following right behind him and leaving Rafley in his cell.

“Um…” the doctor called. “Did I pass the test? Are you going to let me out? Hey! You can’t leave me in here! I thought you needed me!”

The trio headed back upstairs and into the command center, greeting J’onn and Kara as they did. “Somehow, I can tell by the triumph look on your face, Mr. Maths, that your discussion with the good doctor was a success,” replied the Martian before he corrected his misstep. “Apologies,” he continued. “I guess I should be calling you Mr. Danvers instead.”

Matt’s face screwed up in distaste. “No, that sounds weird,” he complained. “Let’s go with Matt, that sounds right. And yes, Mr. Director Type Dude, I quite believe we got some information.” Looking at his aunt, he continued with, “And some info that helps you, I might add.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Rafley all but pointed to Marks being involved in whatever group he’s working for,” Maggie stated. “Though to be honest, Mattie, he did say that’s what he was _supposed_ to say in case he was caught.”

"Yeah," Matt pointed out. "But he also alluded to the fact that he's working with some underground group that's seemingly behind all this."

“That doesn’t sound good,” Kara murmured. “You don’t think the Children of Liberty are amassing themselves again, do you?”

"That or it's..."

“Let’s not jump ahead of ourselves,” J’onn cautioned, interrupting the younger man. Without the protective power of the ring, the director now had access to any latent thoughts that came at him from their formerly mysterious stranger. On one hand, it proved that his story was true - Mattie Sawyer always tended to be free with his thoughts, as most children were, and it seemed this adult version was very much the same. Opposite to that, it also meant that J'onn was aware that Matt seemed to be very preoccupied with Cadmus, for no other purpose than he wanted to put a stop to them here and now.

“What else did he say?”

The three relayed their conversation with Rafley, highlighting the man’s talk that whatever group he was working with seemed to be using the Calendians to spark some sort of chaos within the city. “There is at least some good news to all of this,” Matt replied. “With no Calendians, whatever plans Rafley and his mysterious group were planning to do is dissolved.”

“Then I guess your job here is done,” the director said.

Matt sighed. “Yeah,” he said. “All’s well that ends well, I guess.”

“You’re not gonna leave right now, are you?” Kara asked. “I’ve literally and figuratively just met my adult nephew from the future. I’ve totally only had like, five minutes to spare with you. That doesn’t even cover your poor mothers.”

“We are bereft of a Mattie at home,” Alex shrugged.

“Where am I then?” Matt asked. “I mean, where is the mini me version…of me?”

“Mini you is currently at your grandmothers,” Maggie supplied. “We thought you might be in danger, so we decided to get you out of town.”

"What kind of danger could I possibly be in?" Matt asked, before seemingly answering his own question. “Yeah, no, that makes sense. I guess the Calendians aren’t going anywhere and there’s nothing that says I have to leave right this minute…”

“Excellent!” Kara exclaimed. “We can have a family dinner!”

“Pizza and potstickers?” the young man supplied, a large smile on his face.

The blonde rushed forward, grabbing Matt by both cheeks and delivering a kiss to his forehead, crying “My boy!” as she did so. Alex just threw both of them exasperated looks.

“Really?”

“Hey,” Matt defended. “When you grow up with certain kinds of foods, they can turn into acquired tastes. It’s not like I’ve suddenly started ordering pineapples on pizza. What am I, a heathen?”

 

* * *

 

_31 st century, Legion Headquarters_

The map of the galaxy seemed unchanged since Imra had opened it above their command table, but she just couldn’t help it. She needed to see, to be reminded that a huge portion of the galaxy no longer existed thanks to whatever nefarious deeds were being conducted in the background.

It had been some time since the Legion had been in a situation where the answers weren’t so easily available to them, where the culprit wasn’t obvious from the event or incident taking place. If anything, the unknown was what made her apprehensive, overly so, as it meant anything could happen.

And she would certainly never say it out loud, but she missed having Brainy around.

Winn Schott was great, an able bodied individual who was always up to the challenge of helping them as much as they needed and as much as he could give and then some. And while Imra and the others appreciated him and his hard decision to travel with them to the future, he just wasn’t…Brainy. Oh, he had the intellect of the Coluan, without the ever persistent need to relate just how smart he was, and his compassionate nature made talking with him sometimes easier than it had been with their former member.

But Brainy had been Imra’s first friend and one of the founding members of this growing group of superheroes. She wondered if those in the 21st century – Supergirl, the Guardian, even Agent Danvers – felt the same way about Brainy as she did about Winn.

“Still no change?”

The subject of her thoughts, well the other subject, appeared to her left, also looking up at the star map. He was dressed in civilian Earth clothing, a striped short-sleeved buttoned shirt over a blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans; unlike his fellow Legion members, Winn often resorted to wearing what he had during his time in the 21st century, citing the fact that he wasn’t a superhero, per se, so he didn’t feel the need to get dressed up in a suit.

Imra wondered if perhaps, two years later, he still missed his home century and wanted to preserve it the only way he could.

“No,” she answered. “Usually if something has changed within the timeline, the effects are immediate.”

“Perhaps the mission back to the 21st century isn’t going as planned.”

Winn screamed, before immediately trying to cover it with a cough and then clearing his throat. Phantom Girl had phase herself up through the floor, coming to stand on the other side of the Titanian. “You know I hate when you do that,” the techie hissed.

“I know,” the Bgztlian smirked. “That’s probably why I do it.”

“Please behave,” Imra chastised. “Tinya, you were saying?”

“I wondered if we had heard anything from our young ward,” she amended.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know,” Winn said. “Time travel’s tricky and he has to figure out what exactly is going on down there. Or rather, back then.”

“I understand that,” Phantom Girl replied. “I’m merely…concerned.”

Imra turned to regard the young hero. “What kind of concerns?”

Tinya sighed, throwing a look towards Winn for good measure. “I did not want to cause…problems,” she started, hesitantly. “But are we sure he was the best member to send on this mission? He’s only been a member for under a year and he’s in a situation where he would essentially be working or at least speaking with people who he watched die in his own time. How do we know he hasn’t been compromised?”

“He hasn’t,” Winn insisted.

“You say that because you have a personal connection to the boy…”

“I say that because I _know_ Mattie…”

“Please,” Imra interrupted, holding up a hand to stop their squabbling. “I agree with you, Tinya.”

“What!?”

The Titanian threw her own look at the tech. “The situation Matt finds himself is…unique,” she continued. “And no doubt a little bit traumatizing. However, Winn was right…”

“Yeah I was!”

“Winn!” Imra exclaimed, causing the man to take a step back. “Winn is right, Tinya. Young and inexperienced as he might be, Matt Danvers was the right choice for this. I met the people he’s with; Supergirl is the reason we formed the Legion in the first place and the DEO is probably on par with our technology to help further his investigation.

“Besides,” she continued, smiling. “You can’t really learn anything unless you’re allowed to try.”

Phantom Girl processed this information before nodding her understanding. It wasn’t that she doubted the junior member’s skills or allegiance, it was as Winn stated – time travel was tricky, even without the prospect of seeing people who were dead in the present timeline. One slip and something could be changed drastically.

“My apologies,” Tinya said. “I shouldn’t have presumed.”

“Look,” Winn replied. “I know Mattie’s new, I mean, hell _I’m_ still new! But I guarantee you he’s a good kid. Moreover, I know his family; he’s a Danvers _and_ a Sawyer. They are categorically prone to be super smart, super diligent, and super bad ass.”

“In the meantime,” Imra stated. “We must do our part to here to understand the significance of why the formerly skittish Calendians would want to suddenly go out into the universe.”

“I’m glad you asked, Imra,” Winn said. “Not that you were actually talking about what I was talking about, I’ve actually been waiting for you to say…anyways, I think I might have an idea as to what’s going on.”

Pulling up the galactic map of the Ohar System where the planet Calendia resided, the technician pointed to the planet’s origin. “So we know the Calendians are generally xenophobic, right?” he asked, receiving nods from both women. “So then why would they be venturing out? The answer is something is happening on their planet and that something is some sort of rebellion by younger members of the society.”

“How did you come to know this?” asked Tinya.

“Devlin and Thom were kinda, sorta in the area and I asked them very nicely if they could maybe drop by and see what the hullabaloo was happening down there.” Seeing the stern look Imra was sending his way, he held up his hands in placation. “I know you normally don’t hand out missions this way,” he defended. “But Thom reported in, asked about Matt, and I told him he was looking into a possible Calendian threat in the past. I couldn’t exactly lie to the guy.”

The telepath sighed, though her annoyance was tempered by the fact that this slight deviation from protocol had at least garnered them some answers. Just for the virtue of keeping everyone aware of what was going on, the Legion had a strict policy on how to go about assigning missions, especially in light of solo quests or alternate missions that some members had taken years prior.

In those cases, they had lost members or members had been injured. It was why they had certain rules in place.

In hindsight, it was actually very hypocritical of Mon-El to suddenly bring back a witness from the destruction caused by Darkseid to their timeline; the action had been done based on the relationship that young Matt Danvers had with Kara Danvers and the emotional connection Mon-El still had to the 21st century. Granted, it did work in their favor and their ‘cosmic boy’ had been instrumental in not only helping the efforts to save his own timeline, but he had saved a number of Legion members in the process.

One of those, Thom Kallor also known as Starman, had been one of the first Legion members outside of Mon-El and Winn that had welcomed the young man into the group. The Xanthuan had pretty much taken the younger man under his wing, making the two a formidable team when they were together.

“So what exactly did they discover?”

“Apparently,” Winn continued. “Some of the younger members have started following some new sect that’s been encouraging them to seek ‘glory’ outside of their planet. Basically, go forth and conquer.”

“How long has this going on?” asked Tinya.

“They didn’t know, but it has to have been for a while because they’ve been planning for something to happen,” he stated. “And this wasn’t something that just sprang up from a few citizens; word around town has it that the leader of this…group, cult, whatever you wanna call it just suddenly appeared to someone and that’s how it all got started.”

“Is it possible that someone from the future, our own future, is behind this?” Imra questioned. They already knew that the Calendians were using time travel, making it possible for them to travel back in time, but could someone be orchestrating them to do so?

“If that’s true, why?” asked Phantom Girl. “What would be the purpose?”

“To put the Calendians in power?” Winn suggested. “To change the past in order to change the possible outcomes of events, the growth of other species?”

“For what purpose?” Imra asked. “What is the end goal for any of this? And are these events connected?”

“Of course they’re connected!” Winn exclaimed.

“Are they?” Tinya reasoned. “We have yet to find rhyme or reason for any of these actions other than they involve time travel. We won’t know anything fully until we hear from our young Cosmic Boy. And that’s something else that concerns me; I would have thought he’d report in at this point. Maybe he’s encountered trouble of his own or he’s met with resistance on his side.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Either do I,” the Titanian murmured, a thoughtful look on her face. “There’s something more going on than we know and right now, the only key we have rests with Matt Danvers.”

 

* * *

 

Despite being excited to be having a family dinner with her adult nephew, Kara ended up having to cancel due to James putting her on a new story about remarks the governor had been making about his press conference and pressure from Snapper for an update on her original story about the TMZ video that had popped up nearly a week ago.

While the reporter had been working with the DEO and NCPD on the case, she hadn’t really gotten anywhere on whether or not one of those individuals in the video had been Marks; she could prove that his aide – Trevor Grossman – was the second man and Matt had easily ID’d the aliens in the video as two of the Calendians. But as to whether the state’s governor had been the fourth person had yet to be proven.

The talk with their captive doctor seemed to state that Marks was indeed involved, but as Maggie noted, that could have been something that Rafley was told to say if he was ever captured and asked. The blonde couldn’t lie – she was definitely wishing this had been one of those stories where she could have easily gone to Alex or Maggie and have them just tell her the results of their case.

But as difficult as this story was turning out to be, Kara couldn’t regret the decision of having gotten it. It was a big story, a career making one if what James had said was true, and certainly one that could put expose on a public and government who weren’t truly in tune with the issues happening in their own city. Kara didn’t want to drop the ball on this, even if it meant she had to forgo a family dinner.

With Kara out, Maggie and Alex decided on their second choice – Dollywood. The alien bar had been a special place to both of them, to the point where they had each avoided it when they hadn’t been together. The bar must’ve continued to be a staple because Matt was not only aware of the place, but excited to return there.  

Thursdays were pool nights at Dollywood, where you could find teams and pick up groups for the game in the west side corner, but there were still tables open on the east side along with a booth that Matt immediately grabbed as soon as he saw it.  “You’re looking real overeager there, Beanie,” Maggie joked, walking towards the booth and following Alex into one side.

“Uh yeah,” Matt replied, sliding in across from them. “How often do I get to go out and drink with my two favorite mothers ever? The answer to that is hardly ever, so yes I’m gonna enjoy this.” Perking up, he continued with, “In fact! I’m gonna buy us some beers! That’s how excited I am!”

Jumping out of his seat, he began to head towards the bar to order, but backtracked to the table before laying his head down on it, looking directly at the detective. “Can I some money to buy us some beers?”

“Really?” Alex asked, even as Maggie was reaching into her pocket to pull out a twenty and handing it to the young man.

“Thank you, mommy!” he cried, popping himself up from the surface. He dropped a kiss on her temple before once again making his way towards the bar.

“And you complain that _I_ spoil him.”

“You do,” Maggie retorted. “Don’t deny it.”

Matt soon returned, three beers clutched in his hands as he slid back in his seat. “Beer for you, beer for you, and a beer for me,” he replied, giving both a smile, the same smile they both saw on a daily basis.

“Honestly,” Maggie groaned. “How did we not see the likeness earlier?”

“We were more concerned about rogue aliens running around the city,” Alex stated. “And a possible government conspiracy. Oh and this mysterious stranger who totally came out of the sky of nowhere.”

“I will have you know, ma’am, that it wasn’t a ‘sky of nowhere’, but a perfectly good transportation pad from the future, thank you.” Matt retorted. “Which…sounds absolutely crazy when you hear it back.”

The three took a moment to pull from their individual bottles, both women looking at the young man before them. Within the DEO, it was easy to go along with his story and the emotions that were connected to what he told them, but here, out in the real world, in a much more relaxed setting, both couldn’t dismiss the similarities.

The hair was the same red of auburn, a little darker now than Alex’s own coloring and his skin was the same tonal mix between his mothers, but looks were easily replicated; it was mannerisms, actions, speech that truly stood out from the true individual and their imposter. And now Maggie was kicking herself for not seeing the signals earlier.

Matt had the same smile, the same sense of humor that he had picked up from the two of them; he even did that weird thing with his cheeks when he was thinking, which he clearly was now.

“You can’t tell us anything, can you?” asked Alex, taking another sip of her beer.

“Without giving away aspects of your futures?” he stated. “Probably not. I mean, even something as simple as ‘do I color my hair blue tomorrow?’ can’t be easily answered cause what if coloring your hair is the same day you help blow up some building and the mob boss gets all mad at you and declares vengeance on our family?”

“Where did the mob come up in this?” Alex asked.

“You think Alex would dye her hair blue?” Maggie questioned. “That right there is almost close enough to make me rethink my thoughts on your identity.”

“Focusing completely on the wrong things, yo,” he said, waving them both off. “I’m coming up with a background story for you. And that’s just the opening scene. I haven’t even gotten to the part where you both take your revenge by blowing up their whole operation with Molotov cocktails.”

“There he is,” the detective chuckled, remembering Mattie’s active imagination; while it was common for children to be prone for making up and telling stories, sometimes Maggie wondered if her son wouldn’t become a writer or even a reporter like his aunt. “I can’t imagine you missed the chance to become a reporter.” Tilting her head to the side, she asked, “Unless you did?”

“It’s the next thing on the list,” he smirked.

“After becoming a detective agent?”

“I already did that.” The statement just came out of his mouth, without any thought at all until Matt looked at the women across from him and realized what he had just said. “Well, damn it,” he sighed.

“You made detective?” asked Maggie, a look of pride on her face.

If it was any other question, Matt would’ve denied it, tried to get around it, or even redirect but he couldn’t, now when his mothers were looking at him with equal looks of admiration. “A year and a half ago,” he said, smugly. “I beat you by six months, Mags. It gave me just enough time to put in my request to be the acting liaison between the NCPD and the DEO.”

“Replacing me.”

“More of a…promotion,” Matt hinted. “For both of us. You were promoted and I was promoted, everyone was promoted. It was like Oprah walked in and promoted everyone.”

Despite having to keep his future a secret, Matt didn’t find the night to be awkward; in fact, it was quite the opposite. This wasn’t the first time he’d come to Dollywood’s – or rather, Dolly’s in his time – with his mothers; before literal hell came to his life, members of both the DEO and NCPD would frequent the alien bar on a regular basis, with several members of both forces being aliens themselves.

Tensions between humans and aliens was reaching a fevered pitch, but in the bar, every one was a cop or an agent and therefore bound by their oaths of protection and brotherhood to look out for each other, especially with the closeness the two groups had thanks to the two women before him. After three, maybe four drinks between them, the pool table situated behind their booth opened up and Maggie challenged the young man to a pool game, with some rather high stakes.

“If you win,” she proposed. “We will continue to pick up the tab for this outing.”

“Like you had a choice,” Matt retorted.

“If we win,” the detective continued. “You have to let us ask you one question about our future.”

In any other situation, the time traveler would have immediately put his foot down. He had mentioned, several times now, that time travel was tricky and even the slightest miscalculation could result in horrifying outcomes to the future. Considering that he himself had traveled back in time to prevent a horrific event from being even worse was telling.

But Matt was well on his way to getting buzzed or was buzzed, counting to the fact that another beer had been placed before him. So his judgement was not only off, but far more confident than it probably should have been.

“I’ll allow it,” he said, smirking. “And I’ll tell you why. I’ve seen you both play pool and you’re surprisingly horrible at it. The two of you playing against me almost assures my win cause I’m assuming that your terrible playing will just double down upon itself and I’m telling you because I love you and you should hear the truth from someone who cares about you, not some pool pusher off the street.”

“That doesn’t sound as nice as you think it does,” Alex stated.

The start of the game went pretty much as Matt thought it would be. All three of them were getting tipsy, though Matt was the one who seemed to keep ordering drinks, not realizing that both Alex and Maggie had stopped drinking four beers back. It certainly showed because Maggie and Alex’s game was starting to pick up or rather, Matt’s game – while not spectacular - grew worse, mostly due to his becoming ever more intoxicated.

“How am I losing?” he asked at one point, during their fourth game which he had hoped to tie. His mothers were currently leading 2 to 1 thanks to a misfire that caused him to roll the 8 ball into the corner pocket instead of his intended 3.

“Well, you keep drinking,” Alex pointed out. “Which maybe you should switch to water now, yeah?”

“You’re trying to trick me,” Matt had retorted, though he didn’t refuse the water glass that was put in his hand by Grace, the night bartender.

The last game was surprisingly close, but Matt ended up losing out, his face showing his disbelief when Alex sunk the 8 into a side pocket. “This should not be possible,” he murmured. “I may have somehow ruined the timeline and we are now in an episode of the Twilight Zone.”

“I did see a weird looking portal in the ladies room when I was in there,” Maggie said, chuckling. “Pay up, Beanie.”

“I feel like I need to make a disclaimer that I need to avoid anything that would potentially cloud any future decisions that you plan to make, in the case it dislodges an _actual_ decision you will make in the future…”

“It’s only one question.”

“That could decide the fate of the future,” Matt said. “But no, please, go ahead and ask anyway. I mean, I can always tell you no.”

Maggie gave him a look. “Are you really going to say no to me?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. “Cause that hasn’t exactly worked for you in the past.”

Matt started to retort, but then stopped. “I was four, but you’re right, I’ll probably cave and tell you anything you want.”

“That’s our good boy,” Alex said, giving his cheek a pinch.

“Okay,” the man sighed. “Hit me. I mean…you know. Gimme your best shot.”

Alex turned to her fiancée, wondering what kind of question she would ask. They hadn’t exactly discussed what question or what type of question they would ask, so Alex was just as curious as Matt was.

“Are we happy?” came the question, more of a whisper than anything else.

Matt, who had taken up a leaning position against his pool cue, immediately stood straighter. “Of course we are,” he assured her. “We couldn’t have asked for a better childhood. I’m not talking about going to great schools, though we did, shout out Stanford.”

“Yes,” Alex quietly exclaimed.

“But it was more than that,” Matt continued, softly. “We had everything we ever needed and…other than the events that led and resulted in Darkseid being unleased, everything has been perfect. I become who I wanted to be because of the two of you, I’m _me_ , the man I am is because of _both of you_.”

Maggie and Alex were, as Winn had often stated, bad asses; they weren’t exactly prone to emotional outbursts, usually, and now wasn’t a time for them to break down, even though the words were enough to send them there. As committed as they were to each other and to their son, being a parent was, as the cliché so often went, the hardest job either of them ever had. Knowing that Matt, knowing their son, as an adult certainly certified that they had done everything right.

“Thank you,” Alex whispered, unshed tears just hovering on her lashes.

“Sure,” the young man replied. “Life is great, even better with the wonderful journey we take through puberty together.”

“Really?”

“No,” Matt chuckled, before outright laughing. “Oh god no. Puberty is going to be a nightmare. I’m pretty sure from ages 14 to 16, you were going to murder me. I’m glad you didn’t cause…obviously, so thanks for that.”

“We were talking about putting you in a tower,” Maggie admitted.

“With the possibility of a moat,” added Alex.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Matt nodded. Handing over his cue to Maggie, he finished with, “Now I’m going to the bathroom cause my bladder is full of beer.”

“We’re going home when you’re done.”

“NOOOOOOO!” Matt cried, his protest fading as he continued walking away. “I gotta figure out how to get behind the wheel.”

“You are absolutely not driving, Mathias,” Alex commented.

“That’s probably for the best!”

Ten minutes later, detective and agent respectively were gently pushing a sleepy detective agent into an Uber, a choice call knowing that no one in the group would want or be in the condition to drive. Any doubts of his relation to their younger version dissipated, with the two seeing sleepy adult Matt who was more or less the same as sleepy kid Matt. He was approaching dead weight by the time the two got him up to their apartment – Maggie sat him on one of the bar stools at the kitchen while Alex went to retrieve some aspirin, while the former grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

The latter didn’t waste any time handing two aspirins over, gently ordering the young man to take them with the aforementioned water, which he did with little resistance. Much like his younger self, Matt was easily led to a place on the couch and told to wait, while Alex went to get some pillows and sheets. He wasn’t completely intoxicated, but he was drunk enough to lean into Maggie, telling her he loved her and that she was a snugly ‘billow’.

The Latina smirked, giving him a kiss on the forehead. “Time for bed, mijo,” she whispered, letting Alex place down the pillows before she pushed Matt opposite her to fall down on the couch below them. “You want the blanket?”

“Yeah,” he murmured, sleepily, rubbing his face against the pillow. Maggie draped the blanket over him, tucking the edges around him almost on autopilot. Both gave the young man fond gazes before turning towards their own room.

“Hey Mom?”

“Yes?”

Alex and Maggie looked at each other, small smiles on their faces for the double answer. Even Matt was impressed, lifting his head up to look at both of them. “Oh cool,” he said. “It works here, too.”

“You need something, Beanie?” asked Alex.

“No,” he murmured. “I just wanted to say night. And thank you for letting me stay on our super comfy couch. And totally buying drinks because I stupidly didn’t think to carry more than $20 with me. That was a huge oversight; we live in California. I should’ve been prepared, that’s totally on me. And I think I might be drunk.”

“You are,” Maggie replied.

“It’s quite adorable,” Alex added.

“Which is why you need to go to sleep.”

“Roger that, cause drunk make me sleepy.”

 

* * *

 

Friday morning saw a groggy Matt wake up, confused as to where he was, and with a slight headache just at the front of his head. It took him a few minutes to realize he was in his childhood home, or rather, the first childhood home he remembered. It had been over twenty years since he’d been in this place, but Matt could still recall his time here. As he stood from the couch – a familiar place where he and Maggie, then Alex, then Kara would sit and watch TV at night – his gaze wondered through the parts of the apartment he could see and the ones he remembered.

In about a year from now, at least for his younger self, the small family would move into a three bedroom house, however many of the things in the apartment followed them to their new home. The couch, the dining table, the TV…

Matt went about gathering his bedding, folding the blanket and placing it on the pillow he had used. At some point, he had kicked out of his borrowed DEO jeans, so he picked those up and folded them too, putting them at the other end of the sectional. The clock on the microwave said it was a little after 6 am and light had started to stream through the balcony doors and windows. He knew Alex or Maggie would be up within the hour, so he immediately headed to the kitchen and began to start making breakfast.

He pulled out the bin of flour, followed by the baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon, placing them on the counter before grabbing the eggs and soy milk from the refrigerator. The mixing bowls were still in the cabinet under the stove, so he pulled the largest one and began to pile the dry ingredients into it. Mixing everything together took a little under two minutes, allowing Matt to push the bowl to the side, while he grabbed a pan from the same place he grabbed the bowl.

As the pan heated up, he got to work on the most important thing of the day – coffee. He removed the reservoir from the Keurig machine, a gift he thought came from either Lena Luthor or maybe his grandmother, and filled it with water. Opening the cabinets above the coffee maker, he pulled out three mugs – a pair of white mugs that said ‘Hers & Hers’ on the side and one in the shape of R2-D2 from Star Wars, his favorite for drinking hot cocoa from.

By the time the coffees had been made – Maggie’s with a little bit of Agave, Alex’s with just soy milk, and Matt’s a combination of both – the pan was ready, as was the batter for pancakes. He had just plated three pancakes when he heard his mothers coming down the hall and into the room.

“There’s my beautiful mommies,” Matt greeted, turning to wave them over. He pushed both coffee filled mugs towards them on the kitchen island. “My appreciation for letting me take you out to the bar, letting me let you pay for drinks, and letting me sleep on our couch. So I decided to make breakfast. Cause I am a loveable, loving son.”

“Yes you are,” Alex said, gratefully taking the offered mug. “Which reminds us we have to call mini you later.”

“Do you remember any of this?” asked Maggie, also grabbing her mug.

“What?”

“This,” she clarified. “This moment or string of moments. Us sending you to Eliza’s or this case…”

It was something that troubled Maggie during her sleep, that the actions they were taking now had some how influenced their actions in the future. Matt had mentioned it time and again about the changes to the timeline and that his presence now to stop his future from being even worse than he’d actually discussed with them.

Turning back to the stove, Matt flipped a pancake onto a second plate, bringing both of them over and setting them in front of his mothers, respectively. “No,” he answered. “I mean, I obviously remember visiting Nana multiple times and we’ve certainly gone there in the aftermath of a case being too much, but as for this?”

Shaking his head, he turned back to the stove and began pouring batter for another plate. “If there hasn’t been too much damage thanks to the Calendians,” he continued. “I’ll go back remembering what I did, adult me that is, and mini me will go on and become me. If we’re lucky, this will just be a faded memory and will most likely fade in with the other times I’ve been to Midvale.”

“And if it’s not?” Maggie questioned, causing both Matt and Alex to look at her. “Look, I’m not trying to tempt fate, however we still have some unanswered questions and at least three open cases that might just be all tied together. That’s not coincidence; in fact, we’ve already ruled out that it is. Logical next step would be to wonder what does this do to…future us.”

Facing his mother fully, Matt said, “At minimal, when I get back to my own time, my childhood memory of this gets absorbed into my adult memory.”

“And worst case scenario?”

“I create an alternate universe,” he shrugged.

“How are you okay with that?” Maggie asked, incredulously.

“Uh, let’s see,” Matt retorted. “Alternate timeline where Darkseid doesn’t come to Earth, nearly destroys it, and doesn’t ruin my life? Gosh, I wonder which one I would choose.”

“Mattie, you can not play with people’s lives like this…”

“Do not prepare yourself to lecture _me_ about the nature of time,” he interrupted. “I think I know a little more about time travel than you, okay?”

“Mathias, watch your tone,” Alex chastised. “And you do not need to be huffy about this.”

“I’m not…” Matt growled slightly under his breath, giving out an annoyed chuckle before taking in a deep breath, filling his cheeks with air and quickly releasing it. “Can we just enjoy the breakfast that I am so lovingly slaving away for you?”

“Fine,” Maggie huffed, pouring Agave over the pancakes without waiting for anyone else.

“Fine.”

“Oh my god, the two of you are so stubborn,” Alex sighed.

“Thank you, Kettle,” Matt quipped, flipping another pancake and plating another. He had just put the last pancake on a pile of five when the door to the apartment suddenly opened, revealing Kara already dressed for work – rather hastily it appeared.

“Hey,” she said, in a rush. “So I was nowhere in neighborhood and I swear, I thought I smelled Eliza’s pancakes.”

“You did,” Matt replied, presenting the blonde with a tall stack of pancakes.

Kara gasped in delight surprise, making a grabbing motion with her hands for utensils to eat said pancakes. “This is why you’re my favorite nephew!”

“Again,” he smirked. “I am your only nephew. But to that end, I am your favorite.”

“I’m sure you’re everyone’s favorite,” Kara said around a cheekful of pancake. “Especially here cause it seemed like I walked into a weird vibe.”

“It’s nothing,” Alex replied. “Just Mattie showing off his patented rebellious streak I’m sure we’ll all enjoy in about ten years.”

“Wha?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Maggie said. “Mijo, eat something.”

“I would,” the young man replied, leaning on the island and resting a cheek against his hand. “But I’m out of batter. I was only guessing Kara would show up.”

“It’s pancakes,” said the blonde, her mouth full.

“It’s Nana’s pancake recipe,” Matt agreed. “I had to do a lot of gardening to get that.”

“Mom has never given me her pancake recipe,” Alex whined.

“Probably cause she knows you will somehow find a way to burn down the house,” Kara quipped.

Matt nodded. “It’s why Maggie taught me how to cook,” he said. “I didn’t want to starve.”

“And yet, you’re standing there starving.”

Maggie cut a piece of her pancakes and held the fork towards Matt. “Sharing?” he asked. “I would think you’re way too mad at me.”

“I’m not mad,” Maggie said. “I’m super disappointed in you. Open.”

“I know.”

They both knew this conversation was far from over. Matt had crossed a line with Maggie, one that he wasn’t truly sure what the consequences would be, though he hoped there would be none. As crazy as it may have been to be leading a specific task force within the NCPD that worked with and for aliens, coupled with the fact that she was engaged to a federal agent that also worked with aliens, the detective still liked to keep a steady head, even when Alex and Kara were talking about the times they had been in space or on parallel universes.

In true Sawyer fashion, the detective had just pointed out a big flaw in Matt’s original planning. None the less, he still opened his mouth for the piece of pancake that hung on the end of his mother’s fork.

“But I love you.”

“Well you are kinda stuck with me,” came his answer.

“You’re little and cute,” Maggie quipped, smiling. “It was hard to part with you.”

Kara quickly swallowed the rest of her breakfast. “And now you’re big and cute,” she complimented, before her eyes got wide upon realizing what that meant. “Oh god,” she groaned. “I bet we’re literally beating girls off of you with sticks.”

“That actually happened once,” Matt admitted. “But she totally deserved it. Valerie Lanetti. Do not let me date her. It will end in heartbreak.”

“Should you be telling us this?” asked Alex.

“Yes,” Matt insisted. “Because this is essential. She hurt my heart and I am going to listen to _a lot_  of sad love songs in the wake of it.”

Maggie’s look of irritation was not lost on her son. “This really goes against your whole ‘preserving the timeline’ spiel.”

“Fine,” he huffed. “If you want go thru, I believe it was 7 or 8 months, of nonstop Toni Braxton and Taylor Swift, so be it.”

“No.” Alex replied, quickly putting an end to that debate. She had just lifted her mug to take a sip but stopped halfway to her mouth. “Wait. Toni Braxton and Taylor Swift?”

Matt shrugged. “You banned me from ever listening to heavy metal again when I was 13,” he explained. Getting equal looks of confusion and questioning, he huffed. “I had a phase.”

“Oh my god,” Kara exclaimed, looking at the three in turn. “You are clearly my sister’s child. This charade of you being adopted is just ridiculous at this point.”

The tension that she had walked into seemed to dissipate a bit, though Kara did keep her eye on Maggie and Matt, hoping that whatever was going on between them wasn’t too bad. It couldn’t have been if they had gone back to laughing with each other. Whatever it was, she just hoped they could make peace with it before the young man left.

The family moment was cut short by Kara’s phone going off. Seeing the familiar name on her screen, she answered. “Hey Brainy, what’s up?”

“Is Matt Danvers with you?” asked the Coluan.

Looking at the others, she said with a smirk, “Uh, yeah. He’s with me. I’m at Alex and Maggie’s and we’re having breakfast. Why’re you looking for him?”

“Actually,” Brainy began slowly. “I think it might be better if the others hear this as well.”

“Okay…”

Kara pulled the phone from her ear, shrugging when her sister gave her a look, and put the phone on speaker. “You’re on speaker, Brainy,” she said. “Go ahead.”

“The director and I think it’s best if you all come down to the DEO.”

“What for?” Maggie asked. “I mean, I figured Alex and Mattie would be there anyway, but…”

“It’s about the Calendians.”

“What about them?” Matt asked.

“They’re gone.”


	12. Chapter XI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Calendians gone, Matt and the others have to figure out their next move. Meanwhile, Lillian Luthor and Hank Henshaw continue to check off their do to list, while Dan Turpin discovers the fate of Trevor Grossman.

Hearing that the four Calendians were gone was not the same as actually _seeing_ the four empty containment cells where they had been. The first three words Matt had uttered since arriving at the DEO was to curse the confusion and frustration he was feeling, angrily waving off the looks he received from Alex, Kara, and J’onn for his language.

“No!” he exclaimed. “This is a perfect situation to be using WTF and I regret nothing. Where are my aliens!?”

The proclamation from Brainy earlier had sent the three Danvers to the DEO and Sawyer to the station to see if there were any reports of the Calendians being seen or worse, causing more trouble. Brainy didn’t go into any more info over the phone, even when asked, just stating that it would be better if they would come to the DEO for further investigation.

“There is something else…”

“What could possibly be worse than finding out four aliens just mysteriously disappeared from a highly secure government containment facility!?”

Five minutes later, Matt answered his own question, as he stared at the image on the command center’s wall monitor.

“Where is the planet of Calendia?”

There was only a dark empty space within the galaxy system of Ohar, where the planet used to be, absent of anything but black inky space. 

“That’s the secondary issue,” Brainy replied. “As soon as we discovered that the Calendians were no longer in their containment cells, I immediately came out here and pulled up the map of their planet. Which as you can see, is no longer where it should be.”

“Why?” Matt exclaimed, his voice verging on frantic. “What? Why?? How? What!? When!? Where?? What!?!?” Covering his face with both his hands, the young man groaned, loudly.

“What exactly does this mean?” asked Kara.

“I can only surmise it means that the planet and its people are no longer in existence,” J’onn replied, looking at the Danvers trio. “Which does not help our cause.”

“No, J’onn,” Matt griped, running his hands down his face. “This _doesn’t_ help our cause. Or my cause. No causes are being helped by this!”

“What exactly were your plans for contacting the Legion?” asked Brainy.

“I wasn’t _planning_ on contacting the Legion,” the young man answered. “I was just gonna transport back, taking the Calendians with me. Which I obviously can’t do now.”

“Well,” Brainy began. “We could contact the Legion to give them a status on the situation.”

“Oh yeah, that’s a great idea,” came the sarcastic reply. “ _'Hey boss! Remember those aliens you sent me back in time to stop from causing a probable horrific and catastrophic event from happening? Yeah, well, see I **lost** them. And how’s your day going?'_ ”

“Brainy’s right,” Alex said. “By not sharing this, who knows what this has done to the future, _all_ of our futures.”

Matt sighed, but nodded in agreement. This was certainly not how he had planned his morning to go and certainly not how he was expecting his mission to end. “We can try getting a message to them using the transmat portal we took from the Slaver's Moon,” J’onn said.

"We were able to use it to contact Argo City," Alex added, looking at Kara. 

"Correction," Kara said. " _I_ used it to contact _you_ from Argo City."

“But how?" Matt asked. "And didn't you need cache crystals in order to do it? Do you still have cache crystals?” Looking at Alex and Kara, he asked, “Do you?” He then turned to Brainy. “Do you??”

“No,” the Coluan replied. “But we have something better.” He held up his Legion ring before turning to walk down the hall. “Follow me.”

The group did as asked, following the blue skinned alien as he headed down the hall towards what the DEO called the AI Room. It was common knowledge for most that this room held an AI virtual version of Alura Zor-El, the biological mother of Kara Danvers, which had been recovered from the crashed pod that had delivered the pre-teen to Earth. Most agents had no need or bearing to be in that room, hence why Alex, J’onn, and Kara were curious as to why they were being led there.

“I was running some diagnostics and discovered this room last year,” Brainy stated, urging the others in. He removed a thin tablet from his back pocket and began to swipe across the screen, while speaking to the gathered group. “The technology is actually a fascinating complex structure of algorithms and code. Quite brilliant.”

“Brainy…” Alex began, but was cut off by the Coluan continuing his explanation.

“Though understandable as this is from the minds of Krypton scientists,” he continued.

“Brainy…” Kara tried, but like Alex, came up short as the alien continued.

“I digress,” he stated. “As I was investigating the technology behind the room, it occurred to me that we could use this to contact the Legion headquarters should we ever need to, such as in this case.”

“Agent Dox,” J’onn said, his voice breaking through to what ever next statement the Coluan was about to say. “Are you aware that this room is deemed ‘off-limits’ to non-essential DEO personnel?”

Brainy’s mouth dropped for a moment before he blinked in response. “I’ve made a horrible emotional mistake, haven’t I?”

Alex, J’onn, and Matt confirmed the statement with ‘yes’s and a ‘yeah’ from the latter, however the lone negative came from Kara, causing the others to look at her.

“Yes,” she sighed. “It was a huge invasion of privacy, but it wasn’t like we specifically told you to not come in here or even look at the technology that makes this possible. And you actually have a point; if this allows us to connect to people who aren’t here, without having to go to their planet or time in this case, then…it was worth it. Besides, my incoming message is what alerted Winn to come in here in the first place; without his checking, you wouldn't have known I was stranded on Argo City.”

Brainy nodded slowly. “Forgive me,” he whispered. “I meant no offense, especially when I had more of a…personal reason to using this room the way I have.”

“Which was?” asked J’onn.

“I wanted to contact the Legion,” the Coluan admitted. “Not just to…see what might be going on in the 31st century, but to see what the status might be on my predecessor’s actions towards our species. Of course I haven’t let this affect my role here, but…”

“You’re home sick,” Matt replied, shrugging. “Happens to the best of us.”

“Not you,” Brainy pointed out, causing the younger man to again shrug.

“I’m not exactly heartbroken if I never see the planet or its people ever again.”

If the statement was surprising to the others, they didn’t mention it and Matt didn’t want to bring up the event that hadn’t happened yet. It was on his mind to explain his feelings on the matter, the thought of changing the outcome to that situation hanging on his brain, but he shook it off internally; he was already hanging by a thread with Maggie over his own actions and depending on how this situation panned out, this could either go well or go bad.

“How exactly were you able to do this?” J’onn asked.

“And does it work?” added Kara.

“The technology is different,” Brainy explained. “However, I am a 12th level intellect, so finding a common ground to merge the two together wasn’t that difficult. I was able to patch into the transmat portal in a similar way that Kara was able to do. I hypothesized that using the Legion ring to create a conduit between this time and the future, I might be able to effectively reach the Legion communications relay. The relay is fairly high tech in itself and we’ve been able to contact members wherever they are, regardless of distance.”

“So does it work?” Matt asked.

Brainy’s excitement died down slightly. “Well…” he stretched. “I haven’t been able to actively…test to see if it does, so…this will be the very first trial.”

“Sure,” Matt nodded. “Sure, that sounds like a ringing endorsement of success. Let’s do it.”

Turning back to the tablet in his hands, Brainy ran the program that would, hopefully, connect them to the Legion headquarters. He hadn’t been lying when he stated he had just stumbled upon the room and its advanced systems, however he _had_ been aware that the coding underneath it all was definitely Kryptonian in nature. Krypton’s technology was on par or slightly more advanced than that of the Legion, especially considering the tech he was more familiar with was centuries in the future.

The very concept of the idea was to gain status on how his species was handling the rogue Brainiac; it had been a deep concern that he couldn’t ignore even while working with the DEO and something that would always be in the back of his mind as long as he couldn’t physically be there to stop the genocide of his own people.

It was a process that, as far as he knew, had never been done before. Communication in this time was considerably old fashioned and archaic compared to the 31st century, however Brainy wasn’t a 12th level intellect for nothing and if anyone could figure out how to do it, it would be him. His determination would not allow him to fail. As the program began to triangulate the coordinates, trajectories, and satellite ranges, Matt tapped him on the shoulder.

“So hey,” he said. “You know how the Legion is a pretty big group and there really isn’t like… a dedicated person that takes incoming communiques, as it were, so I was wondering, in the off chance that…Imra were to answer…if you could just…”

Brainy looked at the younger man. “Are you…somehow frightened of Imra Aldeen?”

“What?” Matt exclaimed. “No! Of course not, that’s silly. However…in…light of things, it might be better to have a bit of a buffer in the case I have to, you know, inform one of the founding members of the group I work with that the very thing I was supposed to have gotten has somehow disappeared.”

Brainy nodded in understanding. “That’s quite understandable,” he replied. “Okay, if Imra should be the one to answer our call, I will interface with her to…soften the blow.”

“Cool,” Matt said. “Cool, cool, cool. That’s cool. And if you could do that with anyone else who isn’t Mon-El or Winn, that would also be awesome. Thanks B!”

Brainy gave the younger man a look before turning back to his tablet. As noted, the connection was taking its time to fully establish itself and while Brainy knew that connecting the DEO outside of the state and even country was theoretically possible, going outside of those common parameters was tricky. The silence in the room as they wanted may have frazzled someone else, but the Coluan knew not to rush things, especially when doing so previously had not worked out in his favor. While he may have, frequently, bragged about his intelligence, there were a number of incidences that had introduced the concept of humility.

Brainy was a fast learner, thankfully, and those lessons had taught him to take the path of patient persistence. However, failure was never an option for him, even when it looked like something was going to fail.

Like this attempt to contact the Legion.

There was a high probability that this wouldn’t work, that trying to communicate off-world was one thing, but trying to do both off-world and out of time was a tall order. But the technical spirits of the galaxy must have known how important reaching Legion headquarters was because soon an image was starting to crackle into form, replacing the familiar statue of Alura with one of Mon-El of Daxam.

“It worked!” Brainy exclaimed, surprised by the 3D form that stood before them. “I mean, of course it worked. There was never a doubt.”

“We were getting some strange readings coming through the communication relay,” the holo image replied. “Winn said it looked like your signature style, so I’m guessing that’s something you tech nerds understand.”

“Not a nerd!” came a shout. “I’m a geek at best.”

“So he says,” Kara quipped. “Hey Mon.”

“Hey Kar,” Mon-El replied, smiling. “It’s so good to see you. And Alex, who I assumed has just gotten back from kicking someone’s ass.”

“All day, every day,” joked the agent.

“J’onn,” the Daxamite continued.

“Mon-El,” the director said. “You look good. Leadership is still a good look on you.”

Mon-El laughed at that. “Well, I’m certainly trying to do my best,” he chuckled, nodding his head at the younger man before him. “Especially when dealing with this one.”

Matt pointed at himself. “Moi?”

The Legion leader continued smiling, asking, “I’m guessing this about Calendia disappearing?”

“Oh, you noticed that too?” asked Matt. “I can explain…”

“I have an idea of what may have happened,” Mon-El replied. “But first, help me settle a bet. What was it?”

“With the Calendians?”

“No,” Mon-El said. “What was it that caused you to reveal yourself to the others?”

“What?” Matt asked, surprised. “I haven’t…I didn’t…I said I wasn’t…”

“It was the Calendians rampaging downtown,” Alex finally answered.

“Last week?”

“No, it was yesterday,” Kara said.

“Well shoot,” Mon-El huffed. “I guess Imra and I owe Winn fifty bucks. He said you’d tell everyone who you were if you thought they were in danger. Actually, I guess I owe Winn a hundred.” At everyone’s looks, he amended with, “Winn thought you’d last longer than a few days before telling everyone. I gave you eleven minutes.”

“See, you’d think I’d be mad, but I’m not,” Matt said. “Firstly cause Winn’s my favorite uncle -”

“James will not like hearing that,” Kara murmured.

“And I made you lose a hundred bucks, so…” Matt chuckled, though his brow furled suddenly. “Really? Eleven minutes?”

Mon-El shrugged. “You’re a Danvers, kiddo,” he said. “And Danvers’ can’t lie to the people they love. You get this little crinkle between your eyes.”

“I do not!” Matt protested, completely unaware that he was doing the infamous Danvers Crinkle as he did.

“Actually, you do,” Alex stated. The smaller version had only started to do so recently, usually when he was frustrated with a task; he’d yet to get to the level that she and Kara did, whenever they were upset about something.

“You’re doing it right now,” Kara pointed out, poking the very crinkle with the tip of her finger. She giggled when Matt swatted at her hand. “Oh my gosh, how did we not see this before now?”

“So about the Calendians…”

"I had them, Mon-El," Matt stated. "I had all four of them."

"Four?" the Daxamite asked, confused.

"Yeah," the younger man confirmed. "I don't know what happened, but they seemed to have multiplied within a week of first arriving."

"We ended up facing against four of them yesterday," Kara added. "And we definitely had them in containment cells by the afternoon, but this morning..."

“I discovered their absence when I came in,” Brainy replied.

“Probably around the same time we noticed the planet was gone,” Mon-El stated. “We have to assume this is exactly what happened with the Hess Galaxy.”

“So someone got rid of the planet and that’s how the Calendians disappeared?” questioned Alex.

“Exactly,” the Daxamite leader replied. “Winn told Imra and Tinya that someone had gone to that planet and possibly started a cult like group. It’s the most likely reason why the Calendians ended up there.”

“They did keep saying they were planning on conquering Earth,” Kara began. 

"That's the report we've got from a few other planets," Mon-El replied. "Our concern grew when they weren't satisfied with planets in our timeline."

“Does that mean someone in the future was trying to get them to try and conquer the planet in the past?” Alex asked. “With only four members of the species?”

“And help from the city’s governor and some secret organization,” Matt supplied. “But that would be enough to maybe dismantle the _city’s_ government, _maybe_ , and why here? Why not DC? Most of the politicians reside there.”

“This makes no sense,” J’onn growled.

“And it’s suspiciously convenient,” Alex added. “A day after we have a run in with all four Calendians and suddenly they, and their planet, are mysteriously gone? No, something does not add up.”

“I concur,” Brainy said. “There doesn’t seem to be any strategic or tactical advantage for the Calendians to disappear in such a way. If anything, it brings up more questions than answers.”

The group tried to discuss the situation, however as Brainy mentioned, there didn’t seem to be any rhyme or rhythm to not only the Calendians arriving, but their disappearing. Kara felt that the actual leads were the ones she and Maggie had been following – the missing governor’s aide, her missing source, and the dead chemical plant worker.

The others began to head out, however Matt wanted to hang back to speak to Mon-El, taking the tablet from Brainy in order to shut down the system once he was finished. “You wanted to talk to me, Matt?”

“Yeah,” the younger man replied. “I’ve been thinking about the Calendians and why they were here and…”

“You’re going to say you think Cadmus is involved,” Mon-El interrupted. “And as much as I want to say you’re wrong, I think there might be something to this.”

“I knew it!”

“Calm down,” the Daxamite said. “I think it’s a _possibility_ , not a sure thing. Besides, we don’t know for sure if they’re involved or not. However, I think it’s an avenue that you might need to look into. What’s Cadmus been up to while you’ve been there?”

“For all I know,” Matt said. “Lillian Luthor is still in prison, so is that dude Ben Lockwood who ran the Children of Liberty.”

“So basically your number one suspect is where she needs to be?”

“Well when you say it like that, it makes me look crazy.”

Mon-El sighed. “Find out about Cadmus,” he said. “But don’t get carried away with it, especially if nothing comes of it. And this about keeping the future intact, not handling a personal vendetta.”

Matt muttered under his breath, huffing only when the Legion commander called his name. “This won’t be a personal vendetta,” he repeated. “Though, to be technically fair, it is because it would mean that Cadmus is responsible for what happened in _my_ timeline.”

“Only find out if they might be behind this,” Mon-El stated. “That’s an order, Matt. Understood?”

“Fine.”

 

* * *

 

The penthouse suite hadn’t been hard to come by, not with her money, and money always did the talking when Lillian Luthor didn’t feel the need to. It was located in the middle of the downtown district, with a viewpoint that included not only L-Corp to the east, but the CatCo building to the west and a decent view of the building that housed the DEO. She had taken the top floor, a private suite that was always on reserve for the Luthor family, a perk that her late husband Lionel maintained, even after his death.

The law being what it was meant that she had paid her debt to society and that meant anonymity to her staying in this upscale residence and of course, the money meant that she didn’t have any unnecessary and bothersome questions to answer. Two years was a long time to be in prison, even if it was decent place for commoners to be in; she hadn’t liked being there, but she knew it was only a matter of time before she’d be out in the populace.

Unlike her husband or her son, Lillian had patience and it was that patience that allowed her to get through two years within a maximum facility in this retched city. It was patience in knowing that her daughter would eventually come around and patience in knowing that her son would finally get the revenge they had been denied. And it was that same patience that watched as her son was once again disgraced and her daughter turn her back on their family. Again.

The elder woman couldn’t exactly blame Lena; she was after all a half-bred, a flagrant reminder of her husband’s infidelity and betrayal, but Lillian had tried. She had tried to be a mother to the girl, to bring her up the way a Luthor was, had taught her everything, had provided her the best schooling, the best tutors, the best of everything and for what?

For all Lena’s talk about loving her brother and being close, she had so very quickly turned her back on him when he returned. The only good thing about the reunion was the fact that Lena had cured the cancer that had been killing her brother, but it didn’t stop her from using the Kryptonian bitch and her sister at the DEO to bring her ‘beloved’ brother down.

And to be honest, that’s what stung Lillian the most.

She had given that ungrateful brat everything, everything a mother could and should, and this was how Lena repaid her.

A knock on the door dragged her out of her thoughts, making her move from the window in order to answer it. A waiter stood on the other side, a cart of food before him as he wheeled it in at her command, placing it within the center of the living area. “Will that be all, Miss Gade?” he asked, using the alias she created to check in.

She nodded, watching him head towards the door just as a tall man in a black hoodie approached the open doorway. The waiter turned to look back at her, worry clear in his eyes, but she none the less nodded again, allowing the taller man to enter. He glowered at the waiter, who rushed out the room and back to whatever duties he needed to attend. “You probably shouldn’t have done that,” she chastised. “I am trying to keep a rather low profile after all.”

Pulling the hood back revealed the half human, half cyborg face of the original Hank Henshaw as he walked further into the room. “Then perhaps you shouldn’t be renting a penthouse in the middle of the city,” he snapped back.

“Sometimes, the best way to hide is in plain sight,” she said. Placing some of the ordered food onto a plate, she gestured for him to follow her to the small round table that sat next to the window. “Please, have a seat. You’re welcome to food as well.”

“Someone could easily see you through the window,” Henshaw said, gruffly, ignoring the food, but actually taking the seat across from her at the table.

“I’m a free woman, Hank,” she said, scooping some of the ordered caviar onto a small biscuit. “There’s truly nothing anyone can do to me without sufficient evidence. Which is what I’m hoping you’re going to tell me no longer exists.”

Henshaw nodded. “I took care of our problem,” he reported. “Correction, _problems_. I didn’t know we’d have so many.”

“I didn’t foresee the leak at Plastino,” Lillian replied. “That’s my bad, as they say. But you were able to handle him quite well.”

“That may have just opened up some other problems.”

“Do tell.”

“The NCPD is investigating Plastino and Governor Marks,” Henshaw said. “And I have it on good authority that Kara Danvers is investigating the latter.”

“Not surprising,” Lillian said. “It would’ve been foolish to believe neither one of those things wouldn’t occur. The question isn’t who is working the case, but whether or not they will find anything tied back to us when they do.”

“No,” Henshaw said. “Well…” He grimaced when Lillian looked up at his statement. “I may have been made at Plastino. I think either Guardian or Supergirl saw me.”

The elder woman sighed, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “That’s unfortunate,” she murmured. “But not unexpected. However, I do hope you don’t plan on continuing these mistakes.”

“Of course not,” the cyborg replied. “It was just a consequence of watching those outsiders you brought in.”

“There’s no need to worry about them any longer,” she chuckled. “Speaking of, how goes our R&D department?”

This time Henshaw huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. “Fine,” he spat. “However I’d like to, once again, state that putting that man in charge is a grave mistake and will hurt us in the end.”

“And that is the difference between us,” Lillian said, pouring herself a glass of the white wine that had come with her lunch. Swirling it in the glass once, then twice, she took a sip and savored it for a moment. Some things in life needed to be enjoyed, especially when being denied the finer things. “I know you ran the DEO with a shoot first, never ask questions mentality, but for what I have in mind, the end goal is the prize, not the few feet it takes to get there.

“The players we have in this game are expendable,” she continued. “Except for him. However, at a certain point of time, he will no longer be of use. Until then, you must focus your efforts on other avenues.”

“And those other avenues are?”

“I need you to keep an eye on Marks,” she responded. “He’s getting a little too eager on enacting our plans and I can’t have him tip off anyone. It was bad enough he allowed himself to be filmed in the first place and his very personality almost guarantees he’ll be too incompetent to keep in the long run. His usefulness has just about run its course, but I’d like to see if he can run one more race before you put him down.”

“What about the DEO and NCPD?” he asked. “There’s a detective already looking into that aide and I’ve seen Sawyer nosing her way around things.”

“Ah yes,” Lillian said, smiling as she did so. “Whenever either of those agencies are involved, Alexandra Danvers and Margarita Sawyer aren't far behind. Again, this isn't surprising, certainly not since those two have reignited their relationship. I can't lie, I'm almost curious to see how long they manage to last this time before it falls apart again. And of course, Alex is only involved because of her sister. It would be sweet if it didn't make me want to vomit."

Taking another sip of her wine, Lillian decided to let Henshaw on another one of her activities. "I went to see my daughter earlier this week.”

Henshaw was immediately on alert. “What?” he growled. “Why?”

“Because she is my daughter, Hank,” she retorted. “Maybe not by blood, but I raised her to be mine and therefore she is. And I wanted to see how she was.”

“She’s friends with Supergirl and the DEO _and_ the NCPD,” the cyborg hissed.

“Not to mention she also owns CatCo Media and is apparently dating the interim CEO.”

“Who just happens to be Superman’s best friend.” Henshaw scoffed at the woman. “It would've been nice if Lex had followed through and killed the bastard when he had the chance. Lena’s a liability.”

“She’s my daughter,” Lillian repeated. “And sometimes in life, you can use a liability as a strength.”

“She’s going to blab about seeing you,” Henshaw retorted. “Probably to that boyfriend of hers or that reporter.”

Lillian raised her wine glass, smiling as she did so. “Of course she will,” she said. “I’m counting on it.”

 

* * *

 

Lunch time at CatCo plaza was a busy affair, both with people in and out of the surrounding buildings going to and from lunch, but also influxes of breaking news stories and incoming pieces. For Nia Nal, this was the dream. Having only been a part of CatCo for a year, the young cub reporter still found the experience completely awe-inspiring and new, just like she had the first day she found herself in an elevator with Kara Danvers.

A lot had happened since then, from becoming more vocal in speaking with her boss James Olsen to coming into her own powers and becoming the Dreamer. It was certainly a life she hadn’t foreseen when she was living in Parthas, but it was a life she couldn’t imagine any other way.

She had just come back from Bob’s Diner with two coffees, one for her and one from her mentor, though she wasn’t sure if Kara would want to drink coffee so late in the day. The blonde had made comments and Nia had seen first hand that all day coffee drinking seemed to be something more akin to her older sister, but when there were desperate times… Nia had seen how much her friend was struggling with this big story, not on the words themselves, but trying to find the sources that Snapper prided the company with having.

Speaking on Kara, the blonde was sitting at her desk, staring at her laptop with a blank expression on her face. “How’s it going, boss?” Nia greeted, placing one of the coffees down on the desk.

“I think I've lost my mind,” the reporter responded. “As in, I have literally lost it. It’s gone, Nia. My brain has literally left the building, which is my head.”

“Still working on that story, huh?”

“Are we crazy?” Kara asked. “Are we just insane to believe that maybe all of these things are connected?”

“Well,” Nia began. “I can only guess that by ‘we’, you mean you and Alex. And Brainy maybe? And what things are connected and how?”

Kara began to explain everything she knew about the story – the video, the disappearance of the aide, the now missing informant she’d had, the murdered chemical worker, and now the disappearance of the four aliens that seemed to have caused this in the first place. “Whoa,” the brunette murmured. “Those are very good indicators of not being coincidences.”

“Right!?”

“I mean,” Nia shrugged. “I guess you could take them both individually, but you’re right; the timing of each of those happening seems unlikely to not be related.”

Kara groaned, putting her head in her hands. “I’ve always wanted a really good story,” she muttered. “Just my luck it’s one that is probably unsolvable.”

“Hey, come on, don’t say that,” Nia said. Placing a hand on her mentor’s shoulder she continued, “Just think. You started out thinking this story was one thing, but it looks like it’s something tied somewhere else. All the great stories in journalistic history have all started with something small that opened the door to something bigger. You won't know until you look at everything and see where it leads.”

Kara gave the younger woman a look, awed by the simple logic in that statement. Nia Nal had certainly come a long way from the nervous woman whom she met in the elevator to someone she absolutely trusted at the same level she did James and Lena.

“Ugh, I’m a horrible mentor!” Kara sighed, though her tone did lighten up. “I don’t even know what stories you’re working on and it totally never occurred to me to get your help. Worst. Mentor. Ever!”

Nia chuckled. “You are the best mentor ever,” she corrected. “You’ve always let me go after my own stories, pushing me to tell James whenever I have a great idea. And if you want my help, you have it. You just have to ask.”

“I actually would like someone to help me look at this in a way that makes sense,” Kara stated. “Granted, I've already got Alex and Maggie involved, but...maybe some fresh eyes might point me in a direction I haven't considered. But first, tell me about these stories you’re apparently pitching to James.”

“Actually, they might tie in with yours,” the brunette replied. “There’s been a lot of talk from the alien community, not just about those four aliens you’ve seen, but also how Gov. Marks’ speeches and appearances only seem to be riling up anti-alien sentiment. I’m actually working on a piece to highlight the fact that just because the Children of Liberty are gone, doesn’t mean prejudice dies out.”

Kara nodded. “That is an excellent topic,” she said, clearly impressed. “And one that people need to hear, especially now. You’re right, Marks isn’t making things easy and this thing with that video doesn’t make anything clear.”

“Well, if anyone can solve it, I’m sure it’s the two of you.”

Both reporters looked up to see Lena standing next to the desk, dressed in a lovely dark blue dress that went to her knees. “Lena!” they both exclaimed, excited to see their business’ owner.

“What’re you doing here?” asked Kara.

“I was hoping you were free for lunch,” the CEO replied. “But if I’m interrupting…”

“No, no,” Nia said, waving to the blonde to go ahead. “You two go get a bit to eat and I’ll look over your story notes, boss.”

“Are you sure? What about your own story?”

“I can easily take a quick look at what you have and get back to my story,” the junior reporter stated. “Teamwork, remember? And there’s no shame in asking for help.”

Kara shook her head in amusement. “That’s my mentoree,” she said. “They grow up so fast.”

“Are you going to sing?”

“Yes,” the blonde said. “But after I get back from lunch. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me because I am your mentor and you must listen to me sing on occasion.”

“If it’s better than Snapper’s operas, I will literally and maybe figuratively pay you to.”

The two friends headed out of the publication’s bullpen, making their way to the elevator, all the while deciding where they should go to lunch. “Burgers? Italian?” asked Kara.

“I was thinking the Good Plate,” Lena replied. “Though, now that I’m thinking about it, this might actually be the busiest time for them.”

“What about Sake Bomber?” Kara supplied. “They’re usually open for a few hours during lunch, but I don’t think they’re busy. I feel like they do most of their business during dinner.”

Lena nodded her approval, smiling. It had been a rather stressful week for the CEO, stakeholder meetings not withstanding; the surprise at seeing her mother again, knowing that she was a free woman once more, had clouded her entire week. Even James, who wasn’t aware of what had happened on Monday, did what he could for his girlfriend, supporting her even when he wasn’t sure what was going on.

Honestly, the raven haired woman had been trying her best just to forget the encounter, the idea that the entire conversation had been a dream, something that happened during her already hectic day. But while she had tried to push that thought on the backburner on Tuesday, by Wednesday, Lena was on the phone and requesting to see her mother, only to be told that she had been released. The rest of the week had thankfully calmed in terms of business, but Lena was still worried about what she had seen and heard earlier.

Showing up at CatCo had been a quick errand that she hoped would work out. On one hand, she wanted to make sure that everyone knew that, as the company owner, she wasn’t just a name and a face, but an actual presence in the building, someone that could be seen and could actually be talked to by everyone who worked there. It was something Cat Grant had been known for and something James also prided himself on. If Lena wanted to truly get past her last name's infamous reputation, the best way was to actually talk to people and show them she wasn't her mother or her brother.

The other hand was to hopefully see James, to make up for her rather distant presence that week and to perhaps see Kara, who she easily considered to be her closest and most trusted friend.

Sake Bomber was a Japanese inspired bistro that only opened for three hours during lunch, before closing and opening during dinner and staying open into the early mornings over the weekends. It was located within the plaza, along with a few more restaurants that were with walking distance for the employees that worked there. As Kara had called it, the restaurant had only been open for about an hour and only had a few patrons seated within.

The hostess waved them in, telling them to choose whatever seating they wanted. Both women were known to the hostess, who only stopped to ask if they wanted their usual, and getting nods of approvals before heading off to get drinks. “Hey,” Kara said, smiling at her friend from across the table.

“Hey,” Lena repeated. “It’s been a while. I literally haven’t seen or talked to you in a week.”

“It’s been a pretty crazy week.”

Their waitress returned with their drinks, a Coke for Kara and a tea for Lena, and waters for both. Reporter and CEO didn’t truly need the menus that had been placed before them, already knowing what their orders would be without looking. They quickly put in their orders, engaging in small talk with the waitress who usually served them during this time of day. “So what is happening in the life of Kara Danvers, star reporter?”

Kara laughed. “I’m not sure I can take that title,” she said. “This story is really kicking my butt. I still haven’t been able to accurately prove that Marks is in that video, despite all the evidence to the contrary. That doesn’t even cover the fact that there seems to be some ongoing cases that might be tied in with all of this.”

“The case that Maggie’s working?” Lena asked.

“Well, the case that Maggie’s partner is working on,” the blonde corrected. “Maggie’s kinda been helping with this mysterious alien situation and _that_ just got crazy too.”

Kara didn’t go into details, recognizing where they were, only that the mysterious aliens that had been seen in the video and had been menacing the city only a few days ago were now missing. Luckily, Lena had known Kara and the people she associated with to know that this conversation had more details that couldn’t be deeply discussed in an open restaurant.

“How’s Mattie taking all of this?”

“Alex and Maggie thought it might be better for him to stay with Eliza for the time being,” Kara answered. “Honestly, I can tell all three of them hate it. I’m actually thinking about heading up there over the weekend, just to surprise him.”

“He’d definitely like that,” Lena replied. Like most, she enjoyed the young boy, finding him to be not only very sweet, but highly intelligent for someone so young. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but he kind of reminded her of herself as a child; it wasn’t the first time that she had wondered what her life might have turned out if she hadn’t been taken in by Lillian after her father had suddenly brought her into the Luthor home.

“I know what it’s like to be placed somewhere unfamiliar.”

“We both do,” Kara whispered, her eyes and smile kind. Like Lena, sometimes Kara would imagine what her life may have been if she hadn’t been placed in the Danvers’ care. When she had tried to help Barry and Oliver take down John Deegan, she had seen a glimpse of an Alex Danvers who didn’t recognize her as her sister, something Kara hadn’t realized would hit her so hard. She couldn’t imagine what Lena had gone through, only being slightly older than Mattie when her father had introduced her to the woman who was technically her step-mother and half-brother.

“Luckily,” Lena stated, giving the blonde a smile. “Mattie is with someone who loves him and will protect him to the best of her ability.”

“Are you kidding?” Kara smirked. “Eliza had Mattie calling her ‘nana’ within thirty minutes of meeting him and spoiling him within fifteen.”

“See? Perfectly good hands.”

Their conversation was only stopped by the arrival of their food, at least three entrees for Kara and a special for Lena, with a quick refill of their drinks as the waitress went to cater other customers. The silence was filled with comments on the food and what the prospects of ordering for next time, intercutting the sounds of the diners around them.

“What’s new with you?” Kara asked, popping the other half of her spring roll in her mouth.

“Well,” the raven haired woman sighed, taking a deep breath. “My mother came to see me earlier this week.”

Kara coughed on her dragon roll, her eyes wide in surprise. “Say what now??”

Lena nodded. “I was just as surprised as you were,” she said. “Apparently, she’s been released.”

“It’s been two years!”

“I know. Believe me, I’m not exactly happy about it myself.”

“What did she want?” asked the blonde.

“I’m honestly not sure,” Lena admitted. “She said it was just to see me, but you know what usually happens when my mother wants to ‘see me’. I’m inclined to believe she showed up just to show me that she wasn’t in prison anymore. I honestly thought you might have heard that she’d been released.”

Kara shook her head. “I hadn’t,” she admitted. “And I’m wondering if Maggie and Alex know. They both made some sort of arrangement so they’d be informed if Lillian ever got out.”

“I know this is a wild speculation,” Lena whispered, leaning closer to her friend. “But do you think my mother might be involved? This is the sort of thing she’d be looking to start.”

“I don’t know,” Kara confessed. “And I hate suspecting her just because of her past actions, but…”

“This is something she would be involved in or at least, have her hands in.”

Kara nodded. “We did see Henshaw at Plastino Chemical,” she said. “When that man was killed and the coroner confirmed that he had been killed using a laser of some sort.”

“What about your mysterious stranger from the future?” Lena asked. “A bit of a coincidence for his arrival, right?”

Again Kara nodded, this time a bit slower than before. “That’s…a bit complicated,” she started. “But you’re right, it’s not coincidence that his arrival times well with the Calendians arriving. But…it’s a bit wild, to say the least.”

“Wild like being friends with people who live in a parallel universe to ours?”

“Well, when you say it like that, it sounds crazy.”

Lunch concluded on a much happier note, the two somehow getting into a debate about whether or not there could be a possible N*SYNC reunion on the horizon and that Lena personally was planning on working on something to help Lance Bass pursue his wish to go into space. The CEO certainly felt much better at having spoken to Kara, especially in terms of her mother. The elder Luthor’s surprise visit had, in a sense, discouraged her and made her uneasy, especially in the wake of Marks’ press conference and the destruction that the strange aliens had done to the downtown area.

In the past, knowing that her mother had been released in the midst of an ongoing and growing crisis may have given Lena pause, but after everything that had happened – especially after having to deal with the return of her brother – Lena had pretty much decided to trust her gut when it came to feelings of distrust with her adoptive family. At one point, she had actually started the process to try and find out what had happened to her mother, the real truth that she was sure had been hidden from her, but reluctance and business commitments had slowed the process.

Being able to tell at least one person about her mother, especially when that person was able to take on Lillian Luthor and was related to and knew members of law enforcement, took a great deal of weight off Lena’s shoulders. She didn’t know whether her mother’s release was related to anything or not, but she wouldn’t rule out the possibility and it was certainly suspect that Lillian managed to time this with everything else.

From the sounds of things, Kara had her hands full with the expose on Marks and the cases surrounding it meant that Alex and Maggie were no doubt busy as well. Seeing her off at CatCo, Lena decided she could spend the time figuring out what her mother’s game was and possibly, make up her behavior to her boyfriend at the same time.

 

* * *

 

As the commanding officer within the Science Division, Maggie found herself doing a lot more paperwork than she ever expected. It wasn’t that she didn’t get out into the field any longer, she did and actually made a point to do so, however instead of hunting down clues, the Latina mainly did the paperwork to ensure that the precinct had the resources they needed in order to hunt down those clues.

While it meant more logging of cases, Maggie nonetheless was usually on point to take on cases that needed her expertise or help her team when they needed it. It just so happened, her help was needed. With three active investigations under his belt, Dan Turpin was doing his best to find any connection between the three, while also trying to find the missing people in two of those cases. That left him short handed when it came to figuring out why Evan Peters was killed at Plastino Chemical.

With the knowledge that her adult son had come to the past in order to stop the apocalyptic future he’d come from, Maggie was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of _all_ of this.

Being on the scene of the Peters murder gave her a leg up in the case, but she still ended up going over Dan’s notes. Her partner had processed the scene, making note of the time the body had been reported by Supergirl and Guardian, as well as the remarks from the coroner about the cause of death. Even as she read the coroner’s report, Maggie knew the cause of death was actually Hank Henshaw, something she had been sure of with the surveillance video sent to her by Cam Chase.

But a judge can’t grant a warrant because of a quick glimpse of someone in the darkness, especially by people who had previous run-ins with him. Maggie needed to not only find proof that Henshaw was one of the people on scene at Plastino, but also what Peters had discovered that made him a target for assassination.

Evan Peters had a predictable life – born and raised in the Midwest, holding an interest in chemical engineering that took him through high school and college before he ultimately came and settled in National City. From there, Peters got a job at Plastino Chemical as one of the processing managers and that led him to finding out something that would eventually cause his murder.

But what?

After receiving the call from Brainy that the four Calendians they had tracked and captured were suddenly gone, Maggie had immediately headed to the station on the off chance the four had broken out and were hiding out somewhere. She hadn’t seen anything to indicate they had escaped and were at large and Maggie was hesitant to put out an all points if they weren’t even still on the planet.

She hadn’t heard from Alex yet on what the current situation was over at the DEO, which left her with time to follow up on the Peters case at Dan’s request.

Looking at the crime scene photos, Maggie tried to find anything out of the ordinary. The murder itself had taken place outside and according to Kara, in front of at least two witnesses, one of which was also missing. Both Kara and Guardian had gone toe to toe with the original two Calendians before the latter fled, allowing at least Supergirl to stay and inform ambulance and police about what happened.

She moved on to the photos they had taken of his office – both she and Dan had looked the place over, though as lead investigator, Dan had the authority and the head start on checking the entire office for any clues. From the photos, the office appeared clean, like Peters had put his stuff away for the night and was planning on heading home. That certainly checked out, at least on the surface.

However, Maggie knew that Peters was meeting with Kara and her secret source, Lucky Spencer and had apparently stated that he had discovered something shady happening at the company, but he wasn’t sure what. All he knew was that equipment and supplies were being moved to someplace called PC, but he didn’t know what the materials were or what the mysterious PC was or stood for. The detective was sure she had seen the acronym before, but she just couldn’t place it at the moment.

From what Kara had told her, Peters was certain – frantic actually – that he had been made and that he had seen the Calendians and was sure they were coming to get him. Most importantly, he could actually pinpoint Marks actually speaking with the Calendians; unfortunately, that didn’t help anyone because he was dead. There was one photo or rather, one list that Maggie was most interested in seeing and that was the contents of the hidden drawer Kara had pointed out.

That list was among the images that had been taken of his office, showing that her super powered sister-in-law had been right about a secret drawer. Lo and behold, the contents of that hidden drawer were within Dan’s own case file – those files themselves that Peters seemed to have copied; work orders that came in requesting beakers, weigh scales, and a few things Maggie didn’t recognize with her own science background, but stuff she knew Alex could list off the top of her head.

It seemed clear that Peters had stumbled upon _something_ happening within Plastino and the rumor from Brian that one of Peters’ co-workers had also mysteriously disappeared was suspect as well.

Maggie reviewed the file at least twice, her mind whirling around, trying to find a deeper connection. Dan’s notes had already mentioned the detective’s own connections between this case and the cases of Grossman and Spencer; of note, was the fact that Dan had tied Kara Danvers to both Peters and Spencer, stating that she had was present at both crime scenes and was related to a government agent, who was also engaged to a lieutenant detective at the NCPD. The Latina had to let that go, especially when it had been written before her confession to Dan, but she couldn’t fully dismiss his implications.

It was odd that Peters had been killed on the same night that Kara and her source Spencer were at Plastino and it was odd that the same source would suddenly disappear afterwards. Coupled with that, Spencer was also the same person who took the video of Marks and Grossman supposedly meeting with the Calendians. Stretching further, Maggie realized that both she and Supergirl had been present at Marks’ press conference, which had been attacked by the Calendians.

Even Matt, a stranger that had just randomly appeared, had come to the past in order to discover what the aliens were doing in an event of time where they hadn’t been before. The more she thought about it, the more Maggie was starting to feel as though this was a setup against…well, she wasn’t sure. The obvious choice would be Kara or at least Supergirl, but what were the odds that someone would know Kara would take the assignment of reporting on Marks?

And how would they have known Lucky Spencer was Kara’s source and know about Peters’ involvement?

And how did they foresee Maggie’s own son from arriving from the future into their past?

Something wasn’t right; something wasn’t adding up.

Grabbing her phone, she immediately sent a text to Alex.

**Sawyer: No word about the Calendians. You hear anything?**

**Danvers: Calendians long gone. Or rather, no longer existing.**

**Sawyer: Say again?**

Within a minute, Maggie’s phone lit up with the incoming call from Alex, which she answered immediately. “Hey,” she greeted. “What’s going on with…?”

“They’re gone, Mags,” Alex interrupted. “As in, they no longer exist. Even their planet is completely gone.”

Maggie sat in shock. “How is that possible?”

“Matt and J’onn think whoever arranged for the Calendians to come here in the first place went back in time and made sure the planet wouldn’t exist,” the agent explained. “With no originating planet…”

“No Calendians,” the detective filled in. “Damn. So where does that lead us?”

Alex sighed. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “None of this is making any sense and I don’t like it.”

“I know, babe,” Maggie sighed as well. “And I agree with you. Something isn’t adding up. I’m helping Danny on the Peters’ case and his notes are making me think that maybe these aren't random incidences. I’m starting to think that maybe this is targeted towards us somehow.”

“What?”

“It’s just a crazy thought,” the detective murmured. “Maybe I’m trying to find threads where there are none.”

“Hey,” Alex said. “It’s better to have an idea than to have nothing at all, even if it seems crazy when you first say it. We need to get to the bottom of this before anything else happens and the only way we can do that is if we try putting together the pieces of the puzzle, even if we’re missing a few.”

“We’ll still get a bigger and better picture,” Maggie supplied, grinning at the train of thought they both seemed to be heading towards. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?”

“Not lately.”

“Well, I do,” Maggie replied. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” the agent echoed. “Forever and always. I can’t wait until May.”

“So let’s not?”

“What?”

“Let’s get married,” Maggie elaborated. “Right now.”

“Right now!?”

“Well, not right this second,” the brunette chuckled. “I mean, it’ll take us, what? Fifteen, twenty minutes to drive over to City Hall, assuming you don’t have any pressing…”

A series of two beeps alerted the detective that she was getting another call and with a quick look, she noted it was coming from Dan Turpin. “Hey babe,” she said. “Hold on a sec. I’m getting a call from Dan.”

Maggie placed Alex on call and quickly answered the incoming one from Turpin. “How’s it going, Danny boy?”

“Got a break in the Grossman case,” came the gruff reply.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m at the docks. We just fished out his body.”


End file.
